Revealing Truth
by Drop And Die
Summary: Three years have passed since their last adventure. But now a mundane yet much more complicated problem awaits Artemis and Holly.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer - **Don't own Artemis Fowl in this or in any other universe. Sadly.

**A/N: **Here's my first shot at an Artemis Fowl fanfiction, so reviews would be greatly appreciated. Review or bad things will happen to you. Like being trapped in a box. Of fluffy furry kittens. With sharp little claws and adorable faces. And rabies. You have been warned! Anyway, hope this is somewhat decent. As far as a timeline goes, I haven't read TAC yet so this story is set three years after TTP.

A silent shape lay curled in a chair as she steadily gazed at her target. Light finally broke through the curtains and sent a few haphazard rays into the tastefully opulent room. Mismatched eyes gazed at the still form under deep blue covers. Holly ran a hand through her auburn hair and gave the boy another five minutes. She was feeling merciful.

The diminutive elf yawned; she hadn't gotten that much sleep last night. Between the Ritual and her usual time spent flying sleep got left by the wayside. When she finally got here sleep was considered but Holly threw it aside for a couple hours of contemplation. Even without a world-threatening event occurring, a few things weighed on her mind. Namely the person six feet away.

A slender finger tapped on her chin as Holly glanced at the time and back to Artemis's face. The few motes of dust sparkling lazily in the yellow sunbeams captivated her attention for a second. She really couldn't explain why she liked him so much. Plenty of reasons suggested Holly should fight those feelings but their voices diminished every trip she made here. Logic couldn't stand before the heart after all.

Sighing at her romantic woes, Holly slipped out of the chair and quietly began the trek towards the bed. She really didn't understand why trolls, near-death experiences, and Opal Koboi couldn't match this comparatively mundane problem. _At least I'll be able to surprise the great Artemis Fowl._ A wicked smile crossed the elf's face. The lump hadn't moved while she made her stealthy advance across the lushly carpeted floor.

"Good morning Holly." said the lump. Holly stopped in her tracks a foot away and growled. She hadn't let anyone know about this surface jaunt besides Foaly. The centaur knew what would happen to him if he blabbed. She'd made that emphatically clear. Her eyes narrow in anger and her hand twitches into a fist. Having lost the element of surprise, Holly decided to attack before her target could do anything.

A photographer standing in the corner of the room would've caught quite an unusual picture in the next second. Holly's hair burst into flames as she flew through one of the sunbeams while a ferocious yell ripped from her throat. She resembled a lioness striking with fangs bared and claws ready to tear. Thankfully for Artemis, he didn't have to worry about having his throat torn out.

A slight rush of breath left Artemis's lungs as the elven captain landed. He flipped the covers off his head and grinned at the glaring eyes a foot above him. Holly knelt on him with her arms crossed on her chest. "How…did…you…know?" Holly hissed, punctuating each word with a harsh finger to his shoulder.

Knowing he would regret it, Artemis replied with his usual flippant remark and condescending eyebrow. "I'm Artemis Fowl of course." The hard punch to his other shoulder in response didn't stop the teen's amusement. Raising his hands to keep his friend from hurting him anymore, he hastily added, "I had a few clues."

"Oh really? What were they?" Holly asked. She wouldn't attack him anymore…for now. Besides, she was genuinely curious at how he knew. He loved to reveal his oh-so bright plans anyway. His growing smile was enough proof of that.

"First off, I knew it couldn't be an intruder that meant me harm. Anyone knowing my reputation would've struck me as soon as they came in rather than waiting until I woke up. No one would give me the opportunity to make a plan before theirs sprung into action." Artemis added his middle finger into the air besides his index finger as he moves onto the next point.

"Secondly, the rest of the family isn't at home right now. If the intruder didn't mean me harm and he or she wasn't part of my family then it had to be a fairy. Obviously you're at the top of the possibilities but someone else might venture along to talk to me. I went along on the assumption that our mysterious stranger is in fact you." Holly raised an eyebrow at his statement. Artemis didn't make "assumptions." She waited patiently for the third point that would be the linchpin in his argument.

Artemis smiles slightly and increased his adventuring party with a third finger. "Thirdly, I knew that you were coming. You had to keep in contact with someone on the fairy side to take a jaunt up here. Obviously that person would be Foaly." Holly sighed. Looks like the centaur would be meeting her wrath when she got back. Artemis chuckled at the elf's expression and decided he better save Foaly before he suffered great pain.

"Don't go after our mutual friend. He doesn't know that I have a direct feed into everything he does." Artemis laughed at Holly's shocked expression. "I wouldn't suggest telling him either; his ego couldn't handle the pain. It took me a few months but I finally got into some of his less-protected programs. One of which contains the plans for any LEP officer going aboveground. So when he put your little jaunt into the system I found out." Holly rolled her eyes at his supremely satisfied smirk.

Artemis shot a fourth finger into the air and Holly looked at him with confusion. His argument was already proven; what more did he need to say? "Finally, do you really think I'd need any of that? I know when you're near me." Holly opened her mouth but nothing came out. Closing it again, the captain frowned as she puzzled out whether he was being completely serious or messing with her mind. The second option always had a possibility of being true around Artemis. A studious gaze at the other pair of mismatched eyes told her he meant it.

A small smile tugged at Holly's face and Artemis took his turn at frowning. He expected a swift attack for that gamble. _I don't get women at all._ It wasn't his fault though; he didn't have much practice. Holly and Minerva didn't exactly describe your typical batch of females. Time slipped away so fast; today stood as his last chance. He would make his move or lose…Artemis hated to lose.

"So, what shall we do now that you've judged that I've had enough slumber for my physiological well-being?" Artemis asked. Holly shook with laughter while putting a hand over her mouth.

"That right there is one of the reasons you have no girlfriend. Is it even possible for you to talk like everyone else on occasion? Without the gift of tongues I couldn't handle five minutes of conversation with you. Not that I can anyway…" Holly's laughter doubled at the hurt and wounded expression of the teen under him. He decided to get a wee bit of revenge.

"Holly…" Artemis whispered. The elf leaned in closer to hear what he was saying. "Why exactly are you straddling my chest?" he asked. The captain blinked and glanced down at herself. At some point her kneeling position had changed without her noticing. Jumping off him as though he would burn her, Holly tried to hide the faint but noticeable blush crawling up her neck. _Seriously… What am I, a teenager with a crush again?_ Artemis genuinely grinned at his friend; seeing her off-kilter was rare. Therefore each moment where he disconcerted her should be treasured.

Performing the wise move and saying nothing of the incident, Artemis yawned and got out of bed. Holly couldn't help but notice how he'd changed in the last few years. Growth actually gave the scrawny genius a musculature of a sort. It'd never be bodybuilder level but it had a certain charm all its own. Part of her brain wondered idly how he'd feel while the rest snapped harshly at it to shut up before he observed her rising discomfort.

Artemis remained oblivious as he shuffled towards the restroom with a towel over his shoulder and clothes in his hand. Holly hadn't seen him browse through his dresser. He stopped next to her and looked down with a questioning expression. "Are you going to stand there all day?"

"Of course not. I'll be in the kitchen eating or sleeping on the couch." She replies with a hint of exasperation and something else Artemis couldn't quite define. Shrugging it away, he watched the elf flounce out of his room. Too bad a degree in fighting villains aiming to rule the world mattered for nothing when it came to romance. He really should figure out how women tick and write a book. That would be worth millions right there. _Hmm…_ Making a mental note to ask Foaly if he had any memories on hand from female patients, Artemis headed for the bathroom.

The centaur looked up from his screen at another screen slightly to the left of his head. An elf was tapping his foot while waiting outside his door. "Foaly! Open this right now or I'm slashing your budget!" Trouble Kelp yelled. Foaly winced and grumbled under his breath. Too many people took after Root with the budget jokes now. The elf strolled in and glared at the centaur reclining in his specially-made chair.

"Where is Holly?" he asked with a menacing glance. Foaly debated on withholding the information to piss Trouble off but that could be…well…trouble. Chuckling at his pun, he hit a few keys to prevent anyone else from hearing. He had promised to Holly and he really wanted to see Caballine later with all his limbs intact.

"You should know the answer." The centaur replied with a decent amount of sarcasm.

"What? Again? Will she ever leave that Mud Boy alone?" Trouble grumbled. Foaly grinned and thought of the exact reason why Artemis had persuaded him to drop the hint for a visit to Holly. The boy deserved one last chance before he got this rubbed into his face after all.

"Oh Trouble, how long did you bet again?" Foaly asked. The elf contemplated for a second and then remembered the office pool still running on when the human and elf would establish an official relationship.

"I said four years. Yourself?" he replied. Foaly frowns slightly.

"I'm already out, two years didn't do it. At least someone should be losing after today…" he trailed off and groaned. Trouble didn't know about the secret participant in the Plaza-wide betting pool.

"Who?" Trouble wracked his brain but couldn't remember anyone saying three years. Foaly looked a little nervous which clued him into a few possibilities. The only fairy that wouldn't want it known she was participating would be Holly. He immediately scratched that name off the list; Holly didn't know about this anyway. If she found out heads would roll. That left…Fowl. "The Mud Boy? I have to respect his courage there."

"Yeah, he said three years and today is his last chance. I figured it would only be sporting to give him the opportunity." Foaly replied smugly. Trouble couldn't help but smile at the thought of being able to prove the irritating genius wrong. He for one didn't intend to let Fowl live it down no matter what happened in the future.

"Think he'll pull it off?" Kelp asked. That possibility, however slim, still existed. Foaly tapped a finger on his chin and mulled it over.

"Actually…I do. The Mud Boy hasn't actually tried in the last three years." The centaur replied. Kelp looked at him curiously. _Why wouldn't he try?_ Seeing the confusion, Foaly hastily explained himself. "He would love nothing better than to pull it off on the last day and rub it in. So…for three years he's probably been figuring out whether she likes him, what to do about it, and formulating a plan for today." Trouble shuddered. The Mud Boy still haunted his nightmares occasionally. He didn't like Fowl's plans in the least. _Poor Holly. She's the target of his plans…again. Look how that turned out last time._

"D'Arvit. I think we're in trouble." Kelp replied. "Knowing Fowl, he'll have her wrapped around his finger after today." Foaly shook his head.

"Doubt that. Holly may be half in love with him but do you really think she'd wrap herself around his…finger? Honestly." The centaur laughed uproariously at the elf's shocked expression. Deciding to fight for Holly's honor, Trouble swiftly kicked Foaly out of his chair. Wincing and rubbing his bruised rump, Foaly pulled himself back into the chair grumbling all the while.

"Anyway, we'll find out either way. Don't you have a crazed megalomaniac genius to be catching?" Foaly continued. Trouble rolled his eyes. No one had caught a whiff of Koboi in three years. Maybe she had died…Nah. That would be too easy for the likes of them. No doubt the pixie was formulating some grand master plan. The elf turned and left Foaly to his technology.

Artemis slipped down the stairs and immediately peeked in the living room. Holly lay sprawled out on his couch with her ears twitching. _Interesting…wonder what she's dreaming?_ He moved over to the tastefully patterned furniture piece and smiled at the fascinating creature using it as a bed. Every once in a while he'd get a glimpse of the softer side of the captain. This woman could kick his ass in ten different ways within a second yet he somehow felt…protective. Artemis sighed and shook his head.

He sat next to a slumbering Holly and roved his eyes over her delicate features. He always thought she was quite pretty in a pointy sort of way but he had come to learn long ago that the woman was a cactus. Thorns warned against any intrusion and could easily draw blood. Of course Artemis knew how to navigate past them…two percent of the time. Which was fairly good in his opinion. A rustle from Holly and a soft head resting on his chest told the boy that he had been commandeered for a pillow. He placed a hand on her hair, careful not to touch the ears. Death was not a preferable option to him after all. An hour passed in silence while Artemis's mind rambled along whatever path of thought it chose.

The first thing the elf felt upon returning to consciousness was contentment. She had such a comfortable and warm pillow after all. Yet this pillow moved rhythmically up and down under her head. Opening her eyes, Holly's vision consisted of Artemis's blue dress shirt. _Wow, he's dressed casually._ "How long?" she asked the shirt in front of her.

"Only an hour. You needed it though." Artemis replied. Holly nodded and sat up sheepishly.

"At least you make a good pillow. Remind me to solicit that service in the future." she teased with a twinkle in her eyes.

"As you command, milady." Artemis replied and bowed to Holly while sitting. She hadn't ever seen this attempted before and thought the result looked quite…idiotic. That description and Artemis didn't mix together at all. Shrugging, she lithely flipped over the couch and walked into the kitchen. The boy left in the room blinked; she moved fast. A clanging sound followed by a muttered curse reached his ears. That was odd, no metal was involved to grab the food Holly enjoyed.

The boy walked into the kitchen and burst out laughing. Holly sent him a death glare accompanied with a thrown spatula. Artemis dodged and the wooden spoon bounced off the couch onto the floor. Stifling his vocalizations before something heavier flew at him, Artemis picked up the forlorn spatula. "Why exactly are you cooking eggs?"

"I felt like it. By the way, don't complain. I won't be eating these after all." Holly replied from her position on top of a chair in front of the oven. Artemis winced and assumed the expression of a man standing at his father's deathbed. Nodding in satisfaction, the elfin captain poured the thoroughly beaten eggs into the skillet. The boy decided to return the favor and grabbed the garden-grown greens Holly always snacked on here. Chewing absentmindedly on the offered carrot, the elf focused on the solidifying yellow mass in front of her.

Artemis raised an eyebrow at the fluffy yellow omelet containing green onions, peppers, cheese, potatoes, and ham. Holly pushed the plate towards his face. "Go on. Eat it. Now." she commanded. He hadn't ever eaten this…concoction. Putting a steaming piece on his fork, he eyed it carefully. It looked perfectly fine but Holly cooking…? His mind couldn't grasp the idea quite yet. The tentative bite turned out to be delicious. Artemis cleared his plate in a couple minutes and Holly's smile only widened with each bite. If he had been paying any attention to her face the devilish grin would've stopped him from eating another succulent morsel.

"Well Holly, delicious. You'd make quite the housewife you know." Artemis teased. Her grin faded and she gave him a warning glance. "I mean…you'd do well in the kitchen as a full-time cook." Artemis continued. A swift punch to his chest shut him up. Once his breath returned the boy choked out, "I think I'll view the amount you hit me as a measure of affection. So obviously you love me. Or I'm wrong and you are a sadist." Holly winked and mouthed "The second option." Artemis ran a hand through his raven-black hair and sighed. Any relationship with her would be fraught with danger…and bruises.

The two made quick work of the cleanup and shared a glance. Artemis looked at her with a vampiric grin growing on his face. Holly involuntarily backed away a step. She _hated_ that expression due to the sheer malevolence that radiated from it. In this mood Artemis's plans never bore sweet fruit. "What Artemis?" Holly warily asked, finger automatically twitching towards her empty Neutrino holder. The boy silently reached into his pocket and pressed a button on the remote inside.

A familiar beat pumped into the room and Holly groaned. He liked watching her dance _far _too much. She couldn't do anything about it either. At full magic a good beat would carry her away before she could stop herself. Relaxing into the beat, the elf closed her eyes and danced in place. Artemis watched wide-eyed. Music made her so alive to him. Every swish of her hips and graceful motion screamed that life loved to party. Fairies were a good example of that.

The fast-paced beat swept all of Holly's resistance to the far corners of her mind. She gave herself totally into the music. Her hands slowly trailed down the contours of her body while Holly jived sinuously. Magic flared into the air; an aura radiated from the elf and ensnared the human in the room. All he desired in this singular moment stood in front of him. A wistful smile touched Holly's face as she thought how Artemis would feel in her arms. A thought burst its way through the wall of song in her head. _Well, grab him then._ Holly really wondered why that idea never occurred before. Better late than never.

Holly opened her eyes and glared at her tormentor. Reaching forward, the elf snatched his hand and pulled him closer. If she had to dance then so did he. Artemis sputtered; she never did this before. "I don't dance." he said with a measure of his usual calm. That calm took a quick vacation to Hawaii as Holly's soft hands trailed across his shirt and stretched up to grab his shoulders.

"You need to learn sometime." Holly replied and pushed her hand into his pocket. Before he can do anything more than gasp, she pulled the remote out, cranked the volume up, and tossed the device nonchalantly into the living room. A wicked smile crossed her face and Artemis found himself with his hands as low as they can go on her back while Holly winked at him rather lecherously. They came to a quick arrangement regarding the height difference. Holly's movement with the beat infected Artemis and he started to move. His first feeble attempt drew a groan from Holly but as with everything else the teen really hated to lose. _I can do this. _

Holly laughed with delight; Artemis wasn't horrible and he learned fast. Fairy standards judged him worse than a no-legged dwarf but she didn't think they played exactly fair. Most humans don't spend years of their lives frolicking around to the slightest bit of music. Besides, the feel of his hands exhilarated her. Deciding that the kitchen really didn't fit the mood, Holly broke out of his embrace and dragged the hapless human into the living room. She backed away from him and once again transformed into a beautiful fey creature with a mane of living fire. Artemis watched for ten seconds then growled. He couldn't restrain himself any longer. Something in him yelled "Mine!" when he looked at Holly.

Striding forward, Artemis roughly pulled Holly against him. The two began a somewhat fast-paced routine that took them around the room. Artemis grinned and upped their whirls a notch. He had to exploit her tiny frame after all. A peal of laughter broke free from her throat as Artemis pulled her into the air. She really didn't weigh that much and the teen had gotten stronger in the ensuing years after their last adventure. The independent and strong-willed captain secretly felt safe in his arms. She wouldn't admit it even to herself though. Holly's hair ruffled in the wind created by Artemis's spins and she closed her eyes. Suddenly his hands left her waist and the sensation of falling greeted her before she landed on the couch. "Hey! What was that for?" she grumbled after settling her racing heart.

Artemis laughed and moved toward her while dancing to the music. "For fun of course. I wanted to see you fly through the air due to something I did rather than those wings you're always enjoying." Holly's slight anger abated as fast as it came. She took the hand extended towards her and led him through a bit more complicated dance. He tripped up a little but managed not to crush her feet. _Given enough time I can make him fairly proficient. _A particularly enthusiastic spin by Holly knocked a flowered vase off a table but Artemis automatically put his hand out and caught it. The two stopped in amazement; neither expected that result. "Wow. Nice save Arty." Holly breathed. The boy could only nod in response.

The elf began to tire slightly. Normally dancing was a hobby she could do for hours but that lack of sleep quickly sapped her weakened stamina. A spark of magic jumped into Artemis's hand from Holly and he twitched. He memorized the strange sensation for later examination; it had felt almost pleasurable. Holly's eyes shone with mischief as another spark hit him. "Come on, that feels so weird!" he complained. A lull in the music let some of the fever enshrouding Holly's mind to flee. She pulled away and grinned at her friend before pushing some of her sweaty hair off her face.

"You were fine. Just need some more practice." she encouraged. Artemis shrugged; he had been paying more attention to how she felt against him than the actual dancing. He excused himself to the restroom while Holly browsed the fridge for something to drink. Walking into the room, Artemis stopped dead in his tracks. Of all the things to choose…_This is going to be a fun experiment._

"Holly, why'd you pick that?" he asked. The elf usually disdained anything that wasn't pure juice, preferring the fairy-level cleanliness of beverages.

Holly looked at the can in her hand and shruged. She was feeling a bit adventurous and wanted to see if anything didn't taste horribly polluted to her. The drink definitely didn't rank on her list of favorites but she drank it without gagging. Artemis looked like a deer caught in the headlights. "What's wrong?"

"Please tell me you didn't drink the whole thing." he asked fearfully. Holly shook the empty can in response and he groaned. "Oh dear…"

"What? Tell me already!" Holly had a spark of fear flare in her chest. He hadn't looked that afraid since their last scuffle with Koboi.

"I drank one of those once. I basically went insane for a couple hours afterwards. You're roughly half my size; therefore the effect should at least be doubled in you. Unless your magic purges it well…ever seen a hyperactive toddler on a sugar high? That will be you." Artemis replied. Holly winced and tossed the can into the garbage. She could already feel the slightest tingling. The sensation was distracting; it was akin to pieces of her body shielding independently. Artemis groaned. _ Holly on an energy drink will be a nightmare. _


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Here we have chapter two! A hyper Holly...hopefully she lives up to your expectations. As always I appreciate any reviews, especially some constructive criticism. Thanks to Kitsune Heart for pointing out a marked lack of detail in Chapter 1. Once again I remind you to review. If you don't, I still have plenty of rabid kittens left over. Fear their sweet and cute claws. Upon reading this over I decided that it really seemed smashed together and forced. So, I'm breaking the previous chapter 2 into a revised chapter 2 (solely focused on Artemis's adventures with hyper Holly) and chapter 3 (once the family gets there and the evening from then on). Sorry for the inconvenience!

* * *

How unfortunate. Turns out Holly's magic did not expunge the chemicals from the energy drink until after the effects wore off. Artemis clutched his hair with both hands; the effect made him look like a demented scientist whose greatest experiment went horribly wrong. This deviation from his plans would either prove hilarious or disastrous. A combination of the two was also possible.

A slight grin passed along his face as he reclined on the couch. Artemis had decided it was best to remain still and silent. It reduced the chances that Holly would notice him. Right now discretion was the better part of valor. In fact the boy didn't know Holly's current location. No doubt the hyper fairy was sneaking up on him this very moment. Artemis glanced at his watch and frowned. His window of opportunity continued to fade away.

Then again, a hyper Holly provided him with plenty of opportunities. Her current mood nearly mirrored the one in which she kissed him last time. _That's cheating! _a voice spoke up in his mind. Artemis groaned and shook his head. Life was so much easier when he didn't have a developed conscience. He did agree with the voice though. A kiss from Holly would have to indicate that she really liked him rather than a spur-of-the-moment idea brought on by that energy drink.

A soft clatter from directly behind him made the boy turn into a statue. A glance above him showed only still air and the ceiling except for the slightest shimmer on the edge of his left eye. _Well at least I know where she is now._ His hand flashed out in a swift movement and closed on an invisible something. Unfortunately Artemis's arm now vibrated along with Holly's body. She immediately reappeared in the visible spectrum to prevent any damage to his poor appendage.

Artemis smirked and let go of her arm. "I thought you had excellent reflexes?" he said to the twitching fairy leaning above his head. The boy shook off his surprise; grabbing her came about by sheer luck. She didn't need to know that though.

"I do but since when did you have any reflexes at all?" Holly replied. Her voice sounded slightly off; she spoke faster than usual. So far she thought she fought the energy drink's pernicious influence quite well. Artemis begged to differ.

Artemis gave her an affronted look. "Three years and you think I wouldn't do something about my woeful lack of physical agility? I may be a genius but it never hurts to work on my weaknesses." Holly started moving around the room while he spoke. Artemis infused more calmness into his voice in the vain hope that the emotion would diffuse into the elf. His tone wavered as Holly began to shield and unshield spontaneously. The effect reminded Artemis of a cheesy horror movie.

Still fidgeting, Holly strolled around the couch. Artemis kept changing his position to follow her with his eyes. She giggled; the teen looked like a cork being twisted out of a bottle. _Wonder if his head would pop off?_ The image that her mind conjured up sent Holly into a fit of hysterics. Falling to the ground, the elf clutched her sides in laughter. Artemis peered over the side of the couch at a shimmer rolling on the carpet. He blinked as Holly stopped shielding and a mirth-filled elf appeared in front of him. _Now I need to see how she is when she's drunk._

Holly giggled again and smacked her head on the side of the couch. Artemis made no reaction; that little bump was nothing to the elfin captain. He doubted she even felt it. The blow must have been a decent one for blue sparks flickered in and out of existence on her forehead. Apparently Holly turned into a rambunctious teenager when she was high. Good to know.

"Artemis...didn't you say you just acquired a new car?" Holly whispered after she calmed down enough to speak coherently again. Artemis groaned in despair. Of course she had to remember that snippet of conversation from last week _now_.

"We are not driving while you are insane. I refuse." Artemis replied firmly. He didn't account for Holly's ace in the hole. She gazed at him and unleashed the secret power of any female, one that made the _mesmer_ look like a mere party trick. The teen struggled to avoid looking at her heartbreaking face but it was hard to resist when she kept getting closer. The elf's expression said that another uttered "No." would make Artemis a pathetic, cold-hearted, villainous, evil wretch. He stared in disbelief as her lip wobbled and tears sparkled in her eyes. _How does she _do _it?_ His resistance crumbled into ashes and Artemis capitulated. "Oh, alright. Just stop looking at me like that." Holly's face instantly morphed into its normal form and she smiled like a satisfied cat.

Artemis pulled the keys out of the dish on the countertop with a clink. Holly followed close behind, not bothering to contain her bursting happiness at all. Artemis received the distinct impression that he had a rather large leopard without an attention span keeping him company. The teen opened the door into their rather spacious garage and flippantly presented the car. "Here you are madam. Your ride awaits." Artemis announced in a pretentious tone. Holly ignored him and expertly assessed the vehicle. She'd spent a bit of time conversing with Butler after all. That and speed was so her thing.

An elegant elfin finger trailed along the metallic silver exterior of the BMW M3. She itched to learn everything about the car but figured that Artemis didn't know or care. He just drove the thing, Butler took care of everything else. "So, what did you have to do this time to persuade Butler?" she asked with a malicious chuckle. The first time Butler tried to pick a car for his young charge didn't end well. His opinion of what Artemis should drive clashed with the boy's sensibilities. And her's. And everyone else's. He stood his ground against Artemis's wheedling but the boy knew when to call in reinforcements. No mere male could stand against Holly and Juliet and their righteous wrath. Butler had gazed at the two glaring women with hands on their hips and immediately gave up. Artemis drove a sleek sports car the next day.

"It was surprisingly easy. All I had to do was mention in passing that you and Juliet would be around in a few weeks." Artemis replied with a chuckle. Knowing deadly women with short tempers paid off sometimes. Holly slipped into the passenger side and debated on the seat belt. Then Artemis slipped in and slid the keys in the ignition and Holly remembered her first experience of his driving. With a click the seat belt slid into place and Holly pulled the larger strap off her face. If Artemis said the car seat joke one more time he was going to die. The teen noticed her glare and quietly reversed the car into the driveway.

"Where to?" he asked. Holly rolled down the window and took a deep breath of the Irish air. Even the slight trace of foulness couldn't lessen her pure joy at the tastes and smells of the surface. She turned to him and shrugged.

"Doesn't matter as long as you get there as soon as possible." the elf replied with anticipation bouncing in her voice. Artemis drove between the parapets of Fowl Manor and merged onto the small country road. Flipping the music on, he stopped the car and shared a grin with Holly. Taio Cruz's Dynamite blared into the interior and Holly predictably threw her hands into the air. Artemis rolled his eyes and floored the accelerator. "Wheeeeee!" the elf said in a high-pitched voice as she was thrown into her seat. "Faster!"

Artemis definitely had improved since her last jaunt. A couple turns that would've turned the car into a flaming pile of wreckage before were executed flawlessly. The Irish countryside zipped by in her vision. Gnarled trees, crumbling stone walls, and picturesque houses all gave her a blurred greeting before the car passed them. These winding roads made for dangerous driving conditions but there really was no way to learn like the hard way. Artemis deftly manipulated the accelerator and brake to guide the well-oiled machine around tight corners. Holly sniffed; the speedometer only showed 130 kilometers per hour. _Psh, he can go faster than that._

The car growled as Artemis heard her unspoken wish. That delightful orange needle edged into higher numbers and Holly smiled. The wind swatting her face from the window felt wonderful. She bounced into the air from a particularly nasty rut in the deteriorating road and Artemis moved to a more traveled road for his vehicle's sake. A quick glance at his dashboard told Artemis he had hit 150 kph. He expertly maneuvered around other cars, who weren't exactly happy to see another young idiot. Artemis had to agree with them; this was insanely stupid. Exhilarating though. _No wonder Holly loves speed._

Flying through a small town, Artemis draws the attention of a thoroughly-bored police car. The burly officer dropped his book onto the floor as the silver bullet went past him. He flipped on the sirens and gunned the accelerator. He loved busting these morons and explaining the highly embarrassing incident to their posh parents. Artemis raised an eyebrow at the flashing lights in his rear-view mirror. "Well Holly, I daresay we have a predicament." he drawled. The elf laughed.

"Make him work for it." she replied with a manic grin on her invisible face. Artemis complied and sent the speed up another notch. The Irish copper debated on calling for backup but discarded the idea. He wanted to bag this little moron for himself. So the rich kid wanted to play a game of tag with him eh? _Well, let's see how much balls this guy has._ He matched Artemis's speed increase with one of his own. The two played a high-stakes game among the narrow and decrepit roads of Ireland. After five minutes, Artemis took his foot off the accelerator. He didn't want to inadvertently kill the poor schmuck behind him after all. Sensing victory, the copper guided his quarry onto the side of the road.

Artemis stopped on the gravel and waited patiently in his car. Holly turned her body to orient towards Artemis's window. The cop roughly knocked on the window with an expression of anger on his face. The window rolled down and he opened his mouth to vent a tirade of justice. Artemis held up a single finger and talked before the police officer could. "Say hello to my little friend." he said coolly. The officer's hand twitched toward his gun. This could be one of those psychos that loved nothing more than to blow off a random copper's head. Before his hand could complete the motion Holly unshielded only her head. He gasped at the strange petite face seemingly floating in midair. _Pointed ears? Mismatched eyes? _"What the hell...?" he exclaimed.

One look into those eyes and he lost himself. Holly's voice dripped with the _mesmer_ as she caught the human's attention. "Oh foolish mortal, how dare you stop such a being as powerful as I! My magic will make mincemeat of your mind and soul!" Holly intoned with blue sparks crackling in a halo around her head. Artemis rolled his eyes and released a long-suffering sigh. "You pulled over the wrong vehicle, we weren't speeding. A black truck is the vehicle you seek. I'm nothing more than a figment of your imagination. You don't even remember seeing me or hearing this." The police officer blinked and tried to get rid of that annoying spot in his vision.

"Sorry about that. My sincerest apologies sir. I"m a little distracted at the moment." he replied sheepishly. It wasn't like him to make mistakes. The man graciously accepted his apology and wished him well. Once the cop returned to his vehicle and took off Artemis immediately sent a condescending look at Holly.

"A bit on the melodramatic side, perhaps?" he asked. She shrugged; it felt like the appropriate thing to do at the time. "Ready to head back?"

"Yeah, fine with me. That was fun though!" Holly exclaimed. Artemis performed a U-turn and spit gravel all over the road from his tires. His pace on the return was slower but Holly deemed it of sufficient speed for sticking her head out the window. The wind ruffled her auburn hair and Artemis had a hard time focusing on the road in front of him. He kept stealing glances of her contented face as Fowl Manor drew ever closer in the distance. He passed the statues and manicured garden that marked the Mansion's front entrance and parked in the garage. Holly disdained exiting by opening the door, rather she simply flipped through the window and landed neatly on her feet in the garage. Artemis wasn't near the size to pull that off so he popped the door open and stretched.

"Now it's my turn." Holly said with an impish smile. Artemis struggled to contain his fear of whatever she had planned. The elf darted into the house and disappeared while Artemis sedately walked into the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of Irish spring water and unscrewed the cap. Slumping into a chair at the carved mahogany table, he gathered some peace in anticipation of another Holly squall. The elf returned in her full Recon gear and Artemis immediately felt his small bit of peace quiver in fear then run away screaming.

"Flying with a human over land in the daytime?" he tutted. "That's against quite a few regulations." Holly cackled evilly and tossed him a sheet of cam-foil.

"Since when do I pay any attention to regulations? Foaly is the only one who knows about this and do you really think he'll mention something to the Commander?" she replied and checked her suit diagnostics to make sure everything was shipshape. Artemis conceded the point to her and did his best to wrap himself in cam-foil. She sighed at his haphazard figure and pulled him out of his chair and onto the floor. Her hands quickly patched the glaring holes in his protection and clipped him onto her Moonbelt. He was ready to go. She took a quick look outside to judge the conditions. Mostly cloudy helped a bit; as long as she avoided any glaring mishaps they shouldn't be detectable.

Holly activated her wings and grinned. She was in her element now. The two moved outside to the front lawn. Jovial flowers and shrubs watched them warily while the elf took yet another deep breath of air. "Ready Arty?" she quipped before bending her knees for takeoff. Artemis ran a nervous hand through his dark hair and gulped. Flying with a normal Holly didn't rank on his list of favorites. This would be worse. Holly adjusted the cam-foil dislodged from his short walk and cast a keen eye over his blurred form. With a yell the shielded elf jumped into the air, activated her wings, and took off into the gloomy sky. Artemis felt utterly helpless, everything depended on the skills and wits of his pilot. He had complete faith in Holly.

That's what he thought until she reached the apex of her current trajectory and dipped over towards the ground. The sensation of anticipation building up in the two was much like how people feel when they reach the top of a roller coaster and see the steep descent waiting for them. Holly whooped in glee while Artemis moaned and closed his eyes. Holly's eyes shone with pure delight as she arrowed straight down towards the patchwork quilt of greens and browns below her. Buildings and roads began to grow in her vision as the howling wind strained to dislodge her passenger. Holly lazily broke the dive and Artemis had to swing to the left in his cam-foil package to avoid a church steeple. "Higher!" he hissed.

Holly glanced at him and winked. She pushed the throttle on her wings to max and rocketed back into the air. Artemis felt his stomach begin to disagree rather violently with him as the elf spun in a corkscrew motion through the air. A jet of vomit raining to the ground would bring up awkward questions so he meditated a little. His stomach settled into a grumbling calm and the boy relaxed a bit. Then Holly literally flipped through the air. The poor teen's stomach alternately moved from his mouth to the pit of his abdomen before complaining miserably at its harsh treatment. Noticing his discomfort, the fairy eased back a little on the throttle and flew for a while without any tricks. Well, her definition of tricks at any rate.

After the twentieth or so mini-dive, Holly grew bored. She checked that Artemis was still completely covered by the cam-foil and sped toward her new target: the ocean. The usual tang of the air in her mouth changed gradually as her distance from the sea lessened. Salt predominated but other scents fused together to form a refreshing brackish stew in her mouth. Thermals buffeted her slim form; the ocean had an entirely different set of winds. Using the invisible updrafts of air as a current, Holly soared high into the air with minimal effort.

She spread her hands out and closed her eyes. Perched at the top of a thermal Holly felt like a great bird, free of worries, cares, or restraints. The entire sky lay open before her, offering plenty of divine moments with the wind in her face and the ground softly blurring below. A grin twitched at the side of her lip. Too bad she had such an _annoying_ ball attached to her. The smile grew wider and the elf mentally amended her previous statement. Artemis had his moments where she didn't feel like hitting him. _Time for payback._

Pointing her helmet at the ground, Holly kept her eyes closed and let gravity do the rest. Any complaint Artemis may have voiced was immediately snatched away by the air roaring like a great beast. And the two of them were diving directly into its gullet. Keeping track of their location relative to the ocean surface in her head, Holly judged that her peaceful solitude had to end. Her eyes snapped open and she broke out of the dive. The hapless teen attached to her side cautiously opened one blue eye and blinked at the roiling ocean ten feet below him. Relief that death had ignored them flooded into Artemis's mind. Holly chuckled to herself; that dive was enormously refreshing. Time to head back though. She consulted her helmet display and oriented herself towards the flashing red dot that denoted Fowl Manor.

Holly headed back with a sedate pace. She just wanted to enjoy the majesty of the Earth below her and the skies above. A faint surge of distaste gripped her as the seemingly never-ending human wave stretched from horizon to horizon. She shrugged it away. Not all humans were Earth-raping beasts like many of her kind made them out to be. Holly laughed softly to herself. She knew a couple good-hearted Mud Men after all. They had taught her the lesson to accept the individual rather than the species. Well, to be honest at first Artemis had only reinforced her notion of evil and cold Mud Men. At least he snapped out of that fairly quickly.

Mulling it over in her mind, Holly wondered exactly when her disgust for Artemis had changed into hopeless longing. He had grown on her, simple as that. At first enemies, then friends, and now...stuck in limbo with no real certainty of where they were. Limbo, the place where Artemis saved her life against all logic and time. She could always count on him to do the impossible. _Including making an inter-species relationship work?_ a voice whispered in the back of her mind. If anyone had a chance for that, Artemis certainly was the man for the job. With a start, the elf noticed the flashing red dot in her display was directly below her. Where had the time gone?

Floating a couple feet above the finely-raked sand that made up one of the garden paths, Holly unceremoniously unclipped her passenger. Artemis fell to the ground with a grunt and glared at the elf laughing above him. She closed her wings and dropped lithely onto the sand. Artemis scrambled to his feet and regarded Holly with a somber gaze for a few seconds. "That was...memorable. My stomach shall never feel right around you ever again." he said with a mocking hand placed to his abdomen. She ignored his teasing and walked towards the house. Artemis grinned and stole a few seconds to admire the captain's slim body before trudging along behind her.

Holly flitted upstairs to drop off excess gear and came downstairs to find Artemis resting quietly on the couch. The elf shielded and took a running leap over the couch. The raven-haired teen followed her form as it landed on the table, flipped twice in the air, sailed over a chair, and bounced off the wall into the kitchen. Clearly her momentum was too great as a loud thunk marked her body hitting the countertop. Artemis stood up and looked at the flicker of blue sparks seemingly appearing in thin air by the kitchen table. "So you're a sadist _and _a masochist. Fun combination." he commented dryly.

The refrigerator opened itself. "Apparently." Holly replied as a pear began to eat itself in midair. Artemis lost all pretense of calm as juice dripped down her body and onto the floor. It seemed so much sexier when he couldn't actually see her. He licked his lips. Sunlight glinted off the liquid as it flowed down random paths through the air. A pear flew towards his head and the male barely caught it in time. He took a bite and savored the sweet sensation exploding in his mouth.

"Thanks." He said in between scrumptious bites. The stem of Holly's pear bounced off his forehead and he raised his eyebrows. "Why did I deserve something else getting thrown at me?" he asked with an innocent expression. A snort of laughter came from his left side and he started. The pear had distracted him from tracking the shimmering patch of elf-shaped air. The other reason adding to his surprise was the fact that Holly stood next to him without fidgeting, moving, or any other form of burning excess energy. _Is it wearing off? Please tell me it is._

The higher powers, upon hearing this thought, decided to punish the upstart mortal for daring to think that his torment could possibly be over. Holly reappeared in his vision with an impish grin playing about her face. Artemis backed away towards the couch just in time. The elf took a couple strides backwards, ran at him, and used his chest as a wall. She pirouetted through the air while Artemis fell backwards over the plaid-patterned furniture arm. He landed and struggled for breath; her feet knocked the wind out of him. "What…is this acrobatics time?" he wheezed. At least the landing spot was soft. His vision filled with Holly for a second as she jumped over him again.

"Yes it is. Have to keep in practice." Holly replied. She ran a hand through her damp auburn hair and took a few breaths. Her mind still buzzed with random thoughts while her body did whatever it damn well pleased. Even alcohol didn't push her this far over the edge. Then again she might be just as crazy with large quantities of alcohol. Holly didn't remember enough of her few wild nights to say for certain. Artemis struggled to a sitting position and got laid flat on his back instantly by another maneuver of the hyper elf. Giving up, the teen closed his eyes and stretched out on the couch.

Holly looked at him with a glint shining in her mismatched eyes. _He really shouldn't close his eyes around me._ She was still on her acrobatics spree after all. Shielding for the fiftieth or so time today, the elf leaped over the high end of the couch, landed with both feet on Artemis's chest, flipped gracefully through the air, landed on her hands, and spun around while simultaneously stretching her legs as far as they would go. The result: a shimmering patch of air in the shape of a small fairy performing a split perpendicular to the couch while a gasping boy struggled to talk. "Holly…you will be the death of me." Artemis groaned out.

"Most likely. I'll stop using you as something to jump off of." Holly replied. _Why not use him as something to rest on?_

Artemis felt another weight on his chest and involuntarily winced. At least this time the weight was comfortable and not aiming to remove all breath from his lungs. The vibrations ricocheting through his chest felt rather…odd. At least he didn't feel any pain from them. He watched Holly curl into a ball and wondered about the applications of a fairy shield. Quite a few ideas were plain wrong, a couple shone with possibility, and one idea reminded the teen that for a sheltered genius with one kiss under his belt, his imagination could conjure up some kinky stuff. Artemis shelved the idea nonetheless; never knew when it could come in handy.

Artemis shielded his face with an arm; a stray sunbeam struck him full on the face. The vibrations from Holly's form ceased and a giant flame filled his vision. Squinting, Artemis peered at the smiling face under a corona of gorgeous auburn hair. _I really need to get her in direct sunlight more often._ Even under the influence of the energy drink, Holly still noticed his sudden focus of attention on her. "What Artemis?" she asked. Her body insistently sent a repeating message to her brain: "Kiss him already you dolt!"

She shifted on him and a little stab of pain reached Artemis's brain from his tormented chest. Somehow the elf read his expression accurately and placed a hand under his shirt. "Heal." she breathed and the sparks efficiently wiped away the bruises imprinted on him from her feet. Artemis smiled at the cessation of pain and then remembered the last time she'd healed him in this position. _I wonder if history is doomed to repeat itself? _"Sorry 'bout that." she said sheepishly. His answering smile said he didn't care about the bruises.

Her breath hitched. Artemis continued to hold her entranced with his eyes. A surprising amount of heat radiated into her hand from his smooth skin. Her body sent the message again and this time the idea got its foot in the door and struggled to overpower rationality. Artemis found himself staring at her parted lips. They shone with the barest hint of moisture and an overpowering urge to taste them flared in him. "You are staggeringly beautiful right now." he whispered and mentally slapped himself. That wasn't supposed to cross from his mind into speech. _Hmm, guess love really does addle one's mind. So even I will get some practice as a gibbering moron. Excellent._

Holly only smiled radiantly in response. She knew truth when she heard it. Her hands caressed Artemis's face and his breathing quickened. He'd waited for this for such a long time. _That and I can prove that infernal centaur and all his buddies oh so very wrong._ He looked carefully into her eyes and saw only desire throbbing behind her pupils. This was _her_, not the influence of sugar and caffeine. A surge of contentment filled the teen as he realized that she actually did like him. For all his plans and assumptions he never could be sure of that fact until now.

The two moved closer; both wished that time would speed the hell up then slow down immediately once they made contact. Stubbornly refusing, time moved along at its normal pace. A sudden clatter from the front door stopped Holly and Artemis two inches away.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Here's the other half of the evening. This will (hopefully) be the last time I need to completely overhaul a chapter in this story. As always, reviews are greatly appreciated. I have cookies! Delicious, delectable, and amazing cookies releasing the scent of chocolate. Interested? Well review! Otherwise I have kittens for you. Thanks for reading!

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Artemis mentally promised to slowly torture whichever god decided to screw with him right now. He almost pushed forward for the last bit of distance but that idea was immediately crushed by the more rational side of his mind. When the fairies were revealed to humanity by the two of them simply not being able to restrain themselves then Artemis could officially claim the title of "world's biggest example of too much testosterone, too little thinking." Holly uttered a sigh of utmost regret and shielded. Artemis stretched out on the couch with a slight smile. Her obvious sign of disappointment was a small consolation prize.

"Easy you two! I swear, Butler, never get them that much ice cream ever again." A voice called from the kitchen. The sound of bags being dropped onto the kitchen table reached Artemis and a bittersweet smile grew on his face. On one hand, a delectable moment with Holly had been at least postponed. On the other hand, his family was here. Myles and Beckett ran into the room and their elder brother laughed at their hyper countenances. Holly wasn't alone in her insanity now.

The twins uttered a cry of delight and clambered onto their favorite toy. Artemis winked at Holly leaning against the wall by the kitchen door and turned his attention to his family. "Hey! You're back early. How did everything go?" he asked, ruffling Myles's hair. Butler walked in and eyed the room. He immediately noticed the elf-shaped patch of air by the door and smiled to himself. _Well hello there Holly._

"The ice cream was delicious. Butler wasn't as much fun as we thought. He didn't let us perform any experiments on him." Myles said with a disappointed frown. Butler shuddered; the two were almost as bad as Artemis in their capability for sheer destruction. The two kids bounced around on Artemis and he sighed. His poor chest needed a trip to the spa in the near future. Preferably sometime next week.

"Experiment? I prefer to have bugs where they belong: on the ground and nowhere near my person." Butler replied with a roguish scowl that had scared many an unlucky assailant. The twins, long used to his scary countenance, sniffed in unison and returned to their imaginary game. "Where's the dragon?" Beckett asked his sibling in a quiet whisper. Myles shrugged and cast around the room for something to beat up. He pointed at Artemis's hair and the two grinned evilly.

Angeline Fowl walked in elegantly as she always did. Smiling at her progeny, the woman headed for the carved mahogany chair by a lamp and took a seat. Artemis learned that his hair apparently was a fire-breathing black dragon and winced as his brothers tugged and yanked at it. "Settle down you two. Your brother is not a giant toy." Angeline warned. Their combined looks clearly indicated their mother was wrong. Artemis shrugged and performed his duty as the elder brother to suffer any and all punishment his siblings dished out.

"The spa was marvelous. Butler kept the terrors entertained while we spent a luxurious time relaxing. What have you been doing?" Angeline continued. Her eyes flicked to the side of the room and she nodded to herself. Artemis seemed to have Holly around more and more often. _Good for him. My son needs to find someone to care about. _She returned her gaze back to her son.

"Oh just relaxing for the most part. Nothing too eventful." Artemis said casually. Holly struggled to hold in her laughter at his blatant lie. Her high as a kite on caffeine and sugar surpassed anyone's definition of eventful after all. Even now she felt like moving around but had to keep maddeningly still. If the twins didn't leave the room soon she'd probably end up attempting to slip out anyway. The near-kiss wasn't helping her stay calm either. A wistful sadness built up in her as she watched the family fall into their usual rhythms of conversation. She missed that so much sometimes.

Butler raised an eyebrow. He knew his friend well enough to notice that Artemis was a bit frazzled under his calm. Clearly Holly had messed with his sanity a little. Then again, she always made it a mission to get under the genius's skin. A particularly strong tug made Artemis wince and the twins received another scathing glance from their mother. Studiously ignoring it, they continued on as Myles viciously stabbed the dragon in the neck while Beckett charged the fearsome fire directly.

Holly's laughter intensified behind her mouth at the sight before her. The twins wailed away at Artemis's poor scalp. Another wave of sadness crashed over her. Family didn't exist for the forlorn elf. Just work, a lonely apartment, occasional visits here, and chats with her few really close friends. These moments eavesdropping on Artemis's family were all she had. Kind of pathetic really. _I need to change that soon enough._

The twins, satisfied they had slayed the black dragon, jumped down from Artemis and asked their mom's permission to head to their rooms. She waved them off and the two immediately shouted with glee before running out the door. The sound of their stomping feet on the stairs reached the beings in the living room before fading away. Artemis tentatively touched his hair and moaned. It stood in crazy spikes that pointed every which way. He felt like one of those stereotypical movie heroes who had just been ravished by the love interest. _Hmm…that description could've applied to me..._

Artemis sat up and let Butler's massive frame join him on the couch. Angeline listened for any sound of her younger children and heard nothing. Nodding with satisfaction, she turned to address the wall. "Hello Holly." The fairy unshielded and waved cheerfully. She strolled over to Artemis and arranged herself comfortably in his lap. Angeline raised her eyebrows while Butler chuckled. Artemis tried to hold onto his calm demeanor but failed. The feeling of her was just…maddening. Still, if she wanted to play around with him like this then he was free to respond in kind.

Holly let out a yelp as Artemis's hands snaked around her waist. His mother gave him a pointed look and her expression clearly asked when this little development came around. Artemis knew that Butler was immensely curious as well. With a glacial grin, he opened his mouth. An even chillier glare from Holly shut it immediately. She knew him too well. Artemis roamed his gaze across her head and alighted on a nasty plan. _She really should've let me talk. _

"So Holly, how is life in Haven?" Angeline asked after a sip of cold Irish spring water. The elf started to reply but all that came out was an "Mmm…" accompanied with a gasp. She spun around in Artemis's arms and punched him three times. Her retribution didn't cover the fact that her pulse had spiked and breathing was a trifle difficult. Artemis laughed and she groaned. The feeling of his lips on her ear…marvelous. Trying to remember what exactly the question was, Holly shuddered and rested her head on Artemis. The other two in the room shared a bemused look; they had no clue what just transpired.

"Oh, Haven. Err…everything's alright I guess. The usual bit of crowd control, amok trolls, wild conspiracy theories on where Koboi is, and whatever else my job description entails." Holly replied, realizing that everyone had noticed her surge in desire but hoping that it was hidden anyway. _Artemis is so getting his ass kicked when we're alone again._ _Well…something will happen to him at any rate. _

"I was more asking about you directly, not work." The woman in the chair reiterated. Holly winced; her mind really couldn't handle a single nip at her ear. It had been so long since someone did that after all.

"Well…nothing goes on with me. I snatch whatever time I can visiting up here and throw myself into work otherwise." Holly felt like needling Artemis a little. With a coy smile, she continued, "Can't resist Artemis after all." The teen sighed a little and nipped the other ear. Holly realized her mistake far too late and instead gave herself over to the sensation. The lightning streaking along her nerves made the elf moan without realizing. Opening her eyes, the elf blinked at the other occupants staring at her.

She had to get her composure back. Holly flitted out of Artemis's lap and moved into the kitchen. Butler clapped Artemis on the shoulder. "What exactly…was that?" he asked curiously. He knew what it looked like to him but that couldn't be possible. _Perhaps fairy ears are a bit…different?_

"Ahh…better not to say. But your suspicions are on the right track." Artemis replied with a self-satisfied grin.

"Well now that's done with, whatever it was, what's going on between you two?" his mother asked while looking over steepled fingers. Artemis looked at her and then Butler. They needed to know. Well, they already had a strong idea.

Artemis glanced towards the kitchen and heard Holly moving towards the restroom. Good, he had a couple minutes to speak with near-impunity then. "Ah…to start off the LEP made a little office-wide bet three years ago. The subject: when we would start an official relationship. Tonight marks the third year anniversary of its inception. If I don't kiss her within a couple hours, I lose." Butler laughed while Angeline shook her head.

"Of course you would enter in a bet that hinged on yourself. Isn't that cheating?" his mother scolded.

"Probably, but the fairies accepted my wager." A vampiric smile took hold on Artemis's features. "I'm not worried. She's falling into my hands quite nicely." He replied smugly and with an air of anticipation hovering around him. Normally this level of excitement was reserved for scheming grand plots to save the world.

Butler enjoyed this slight change in his friend. He knew the elf had been weighing on Artemis's mind a lot lately. The sooner it was resolved in the right way the happier his charge would be. The bodyguard harbored a strong suspicion Holly returned the attraction judging from her behavior today and earlier.

The elf in question shoved her head under the silver spigot in the bathroom. Her hands held onto the sink in a death grip while she breathed heavily to calm herself down. All that military training to keep calm and collected under every possible scenario and two nips sent her rationality packing. At least the sink was low enough that she could see her reflection in the mirror hanging above.

Damp auburn hair dripped water down her slightly cherubic face. Her two eyes matched her mood right now: conflicted. She had almost made the irrevocable decision earlier. Given another chance, would she do it again? The feathery pulse of the blood flowing through her veins gave her the only answer she needed right now: yes. Grabbing the towel, Holly tried to return herself to some semblance of normalcy as she dried her face. _Normal? Do I even know what that word means anymore?_

Angeline waved at Butler to check the twins. He took the hint and silently moved out of the room. "Arty, how long have you liked her?" she asked with her piercing eyes resting on her son. He returned the gaze and said the simple truth. "Years, mother. It's been quite a while now." That was the answer she expected. It also explained the marked lack of other girls around here. She had thought that maybe Arty liked Minerva for a little but her first meeting with the girl crushed that notion.

"You are aware of the particular…difficulties…of any relationship with Holly, correct?" she continued. Artemis barely refrained from rolling his eyes. This was his intellect they were discussing; of course he knew exactly what he wanted to get into. Instead he gravely nodded again. Neither noticed the third person privy to their conversation as a shielded Holly sneaked behind the couch.

"Of course Mother. I've given them plenty of thought. I don't care." He replied. She walked up to him and pulled him from the couch into an embrace. Somewhat surprised, Artemis barely had time to return the hug before she stepped back and smiled at him fiercely.

"Best of luck to you then. She's definitely…different." A chuckle burst from her throat as she thought how fiery the elfin captain was. Artemis had a lot to handle. But knowing her son he'd take down the challenge like all the others before. Angeline Fowl grinned as something moved in the corner of her eye. Now that Holly knew it was time to leave them alone. "Well dear, I'm going to refresh myself. Ta-ta." Artemis watched his mother leave while his brain pondered her rather abrupt exit. The sudden halt to their conversation meant one thing.

"Holly. I know you're there you snoop." Artemis teased. The elf in question sighed and moved into plain view. What was the point of having a shield when it never concealed her? At least her questions were answered. A quick glance at the sensors on her wrist told Holly she only had a couple hours remaining until duty called once more. Artemis mimicked her gesture and grinned to himself. Foaly and Kelp wouldn't be happy when she got back. Unless something else intervened…that wouldn't happen.

"Shielding isn't as much fun as it used to be." Holly pouted before breaking into a yawn. The drink was finally losing its effects. Artemis chuckled with relief at her jaw-cracking exhalation. It had gotten pretty hairy for an hour or two. Holly beckoned to him with a sultry gaze and headed to the sunroom. The recent addition let any visitor enjoy the bit of Irish countryside contained within Fowl Manor's parapets, including the nice little garden and a patch of woods. Artemis eagerly followed.

Holly leaned on her elbows and looked outside at the land. Grass and trees fluttered slightly in the evening breeze. This is what the People missed and the humans hoarded for themselves. A fairy wasn't meant to live underground besides the dwarves. Her elfin blood craved bounteous meadows and fertile plains. But like any other living being in less-than-perfect conditions, Holly adapted. She could still miss it though. A hand on her shoulder gave the woman a bit of comfort.

Artemis smiled and relished the feeling of her shoulder under his hand. This was one of those two-percent times when he successfully avoided Holly's thorns and found the actual woman. He knew exactly what ran through her mind as she stared out the window. Another yawn reached the boy's ears. Holly really must be exhausted. Without warning, the elfin captain spun around and grabbed Artemis's shirt. Pulled down by the force of her grip, he staggered and fell.

Holly chuckled. That hadn't been her intention but it served her purposes just as well. Artemis felt distinctly innocent as she resumed her position on top of him from this morning. "Continuing a little unfinished business?" he asked. She smirked and leaned closer so her words tickled Artemis's cheek.

"I think we do have something to clear up between us." Holly whispered. Artemis felt a slight tingle of magic and whimpered. She didn't play fair. The blue sparks wreaked havoc on his rationality, just as Holly planned. "How does it feel to be the puppet to someone else's plans for once Arty?"

Artemis struggled to find an appropriate comeback but couldn't grasp one in time. "Perfectly fine with me." blurted out of his mouth and he sighed with disappointment. He really should sit down one of these days and write a book of comebacks and carry it on his person at all times. Holly's grin somehow grew wider and even more suggestive. Artemis had to be impressed by the feat.

"Oh, I think you'll enjoy your role in _my _plan." Holly continued before kissing the side of his neck and adding the slightest jolt of magic to it. Artemis groaned and tried not to lose all hold on his sanity. Deciding that was enough teasing for now, Holly moved along his jawline and looked directly into his eyes. Did she want this? Both her mind and heart screamed an emphatic "Yes!"

Vaguely afraid of another untimely interruption, Holly didn't waste any time on preamble. Her hands tangled in his black hair and her lips finally slaked their thirst for him. This time they could enjoy it. And enjoy it they did. Artemis didn't have much of a base for comparison but he found it a few orders of magnitude better than he could imagine. Her soft pliant lips made him shudder with desire. Holly laughed and the sensation did a few interesting things to how they were locked together.

Holly hit him with another spark of magic and he gasped involuntarily. Seizing her opportunity, the elf forced his lips open with her tongue and explored a bit. Just as she hoped Artemis responded almost immediately. A strange sort of war ensued. Neither participant minded in the least when the other one "won."

Artemis frowned as Holly pulled away then grew still. Crawling out of the haze of sensation, he opened his eyes and found a sleeping Holly nuzzling against his neck. _So she finally crashed. Interesting timing. _The energy drink had to have the last laugh. Artemis held her and wondered what would happen now. Suddenly he realized he could actually say he had a girlfriend with truthfulness. That was going to be weird. Artemis closed his eyes and smiled softly at another plan successfully completed. It figured, his worst plan in the chance of completion category gave him the best personal reward of any of the others.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Finally, here we are at chapter four! I had a blast writing this one for some reason; think it's fairly high on the list of my "best chapter written ever" list. Not that there's much on that sheet yet...-sigh-. Give me time. Anyways, review! I'm out of kittens since I used my entire supply to take out a few non-reviewers but I have a new plan implemented. Which I shall keep you in the dark about so do the smart thing and leave a comment. or paragraph. or more. It's all good to me.

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A red-hued sun dipping below the horizon reminded Artemis that the tired elf on top of him really had places to be. Too bad those places didn't involve him at all. With a sigh, he poked Holly lightly on her head. A grunt and a slight twitch rewarded him as the fairy stubbornly refused to rouse from slumber. Artemis tried to slowly push her off him but her arms tightened around his chest in response.

"Holly…get up." he said into her pointed ear. Her mind slipped towards consciousness by a slight degree. Another jab to the head by Artemis broke a layer of dreams. She moaned and thwacked his chest with a fist before returning to whatever imaginings cavorted in her head. Artemis groaned; she punched at normal strength in her sleep. It was time for drastic measures.

His hands curled around her delicate shoulders and shook. Holly's eyes finally flew open and she blinked at him in confusion. Tiredness still pulled at her body and Artemis's warmth provided such a comfortable bed. The teen saw her eyes closing immediately and gave her another shake to make sure the captain stayed awake. "No Holly. You have a home to get back to." he warned with a condescending finger waggling in her face. She quickly removed the annoying digit from her vision with a soft bite to the finger in question and laughed at the shocked expression on his face as he pulled it back. If that bothered him he had a harsh lesson coming. The captain yawned and stretched.

Noticing the awestruck look in the teen's face, Holly grinned wickedly and put a little more oomph into her flexing. "You are such a tease." he complained as his girlfriend flaunted her tight figure. His hands twitched for her and she lithely avoided them.

"No no, I can't get distracted again. Kelp's probably pissed off at me as it is. Better luck next time." A twinkle in her eyes said he was guaranteed increased fortune on her next visit. She winced at the twilight sky above the mansion. _I'm so getting yelled at when I get back._ Hopping to her feet, Holly swayed from a burst of light-headedness. A soft hand on her back kept her propped up and the feeling soon passed. "Thanks. I'm more exhausted than I thought." Artemis murmured something in reply and scrambled to his feet.

Holly sighed at their height difference. That didn't bother her much anymore but it still remained…an inconvenience. Well, she'd chosen this and the problems along with the benefits were now hers. Especially the conundrum of their life spans…_No, don't think about this now. _ That was _not_ the way to start out this relationship. Artemis stopped; he noticed the troubled expression on her face. "Holly…?"

"Oh, nothing. Nevermind." she replied while running a hand through her reddish hair. Artemis knew that the trouble weighing on her mind was a bit more than nothing but didn't push the matter further. He had a fairly decent guess as to what ran through the captain's head. She turned towards the living room and his hand latched onto hers, halting Holly in her tracks. _Actually, I might as well bring this up now._

He stared gravely into her eyes. "Are you sure you want this? I would understand…" his voice trailed off as the possibility of losing Holly just as soon as he gained her popped into his head. The innumerable obstacles standing in front of them loomed over him, dark and menacing. All Artemis wanted was to try to overcome them. If she didn't…well then he'd bear his personal depression and attempt to move on. The question had to be asked and answered now for minimal heartache.

Holly chuckled softly to herself. Of course he wouldn't see how much she cared for him and instead think that this was yet another spur of the moment deal. She'd just have to persuade him…her form of "persuasion" would work just fine. Pulling the teen closer, she smiled at him. "Of course I do. For a genius you can be pretty dense sometimes." Holly proved her point with a quick but thorough kiss that sent both their pulses racing.

Artemis rubbed his back and dissipated the twinge of pain. They'd have to come to some sort of arrangement or his posture would be on a one-way trip to hell. Holly winked lecherously at him and faded into the air. He watched her move into the hallway and sneak upstairs to his room. A surge of contentment filled the boy; all had worked out marvelously. Better than he'd planned. A wry chuckle escaped his lips. Generally a villain or simple bad luck stopped his plans from bearing perfect fruit.

"Where's Holly?" a deep voice asked from behind him. Artemis started; he hadn't heard Butler approach. Darkness stretched out in front of the two men, trees and shrubs reduced to shadowy shapes in the gloom. The burly frame of his bodyguard entered the corner of Artemis's vision.

"Grabbing her gear. She's running just a tad late." He replied and waited for the question that Butler itched to ask. Nothing would cross the teen's lips unless directly asked for. He didn't have to endure silence for long.

"Well…how'd it go?" he asked with unrestrained curiosity running under his brusque voice. Artemis gave his trademark vampiric smile in response. Just by the smug air around the boy Butler knew that the evening went satisfactorily for his charge.

"Excellent Butler. I do believe I'm one of the first people to attempt a human-elf relationship." The bodyguard rolled his eyes. Artemis didn't need any more firsts under his belt; he had enough of those already. A gun barrel pressed into the genius's back made him stiffen automatically before realizing who it had to be. Feminine laughter rang out into the air and Butler returned his weapon back to his holster.

"Easy there Holly. I'm jumpy." Butler cautioned. Holly slipped her neutrino away and gazed at Artemis's stern face with a gleeful spark in her mismatched eyes. She promised to herself to break his stoic reserve. The man needed _fun_ once in a while for Frond's sake. Unfortunately that would occur at a later time. Duty called. Artemis swung her around in his arms for a quick hug and set her back down. Butler blinked at that; Holly was already changing the solitary genius. "Good-bye Holly." he said as she pulled out of his arms.

Snapping on her helmet and activating her wings, Holly turned to look at the two Mud Men standing there. "Good-bye for now Arty. Keep him out of trouble for me Butler." she uttered and flew out the open door into the crisp Irish air. Artemis smiled at the dim shape waving to him through the glass and watched her meld into the darkness. With luck the emptiness inside of him would be sated by her presence soon enough.

"About time! The Commander isn't exactly happy Holly." Foaly blared into her ear. She winced at the volume and adjusted. There, his braying wouldn't shatter an eardrum. As always a small pit opened in her stomach as the distance between her and Artemis grew. Unlike before, the feeling burned into her being with intensity. _I miss him this much already? Jeez…_ Distracted, Holly didn't hear Foaly's question.

"What was that?" she asked as the ocean, glittering like sparse diamonds in the moonlight, spread out below her.

"Why were you so late?" Foaly repeated. Holly's brows lowered as she detected a multitude of emotions in the question: curiosity, hesitancy, and…fear. _Why would he be afraid of my answer? I'm not going to divulge the details until I get there._

"Lost track of time really. I was exhausted; fell asleep." Holly replied shortly. Banking towards the dot in her visor, the elf performed some aerial acrobatics through a nearby stand of trees. Flying never failed to wake her up. A silence reached her as the centaur probed for any lies in her words. She hadn't lied…technically. "Look, I'll tell you more later. For now I just want to get home."

"Fair enough. There's a shuttle waiting for your capable hands." Holly's eyes widened in anticipation. The thrill of driving never got old. A lopsided grin frolicked on her face as the elf reached the fort and unshielded. Upon entering the shuttle bay, Holly leaped into the pristine craft and wondered idly if attempting to break a record or two was in the cards. A mouth-cracking yawn reminded the fairy that some ideas really shouldn't be acted upon. That would be the ironic way to end it: a fiery splat on the chute wall.

The vehicle revved alive under her touch and Holly swung the craft into the chute towards home. One relaxing drive later and the elfin captain landed perfectly before jumping out. Any passengers would've disagreed violently with relaxing being associated in any way, shape, or form with Holly's driving. After what seemed like an age the elf had reached Haven. She groaned and leaned against a wall for a quick breather. Once she talked to the Commander Holly was totally scheduling a long appointment with her bed. _Too bad Artemis won't be in it…_

The elf shook her head violently to clear that tempting yet thoroughly unwanted thought. She really must be exhausted if her mind threw those statements at her. A couple passing pixies steered clear of the LEP officer who seemed to be hitting herself in the head for no reason. They tutted at the crazies policing them and moved on with their business. With a grimace Holly found a little extra strength and trudged towards Police Plaza, yawning all the while.

The first thing Holly encountered on entering the maze-like halls of Police Plaza were stares. Everywhere she went people stopped and watched her pass. After ten or so incidents of this the elf began to lose her nerve. Her previously confident jaunt became the loping run of someone with a large pack of hyenas chasing close behind. Finally losing her patience, the hotheaded elf returned a pixie's curious stare with a ferocious glare of her own. Squeaking and dropping his papers, the unfortunate pixie quickly broke eye contact. Satisfied that she at least still had her anger intact, Holly continued on.

Unfortunately she couldn't stare down everyone in the building. _What the hell is this shit? I feel like Internal Affairs is on my case again and has co-opted every soul in Police Plaza to judge me. _A frustrated growl ripped out of her throat and Holly punched a wall, narrowly missing a sprite who quickly learned that anyone around an angry Holly possibly could require large amounts of magic to stay alive. The captain absentmindedly straightened her broken finger as the magic went to work fixing her bruised hand. The elf turned the corner and moved that much closer to relative peace. The three fairies in the vicinity looked at the impressive dent in the wall and all silently resolved to never get near the captain when she was in the thrall of a bad mood.

Struggling to ignore the barrage of curious stares, Holly finally reached Commander Kelp's office. Never before had she burst into the room gasping with relief. His surprised expression said he hadn't seen that before either. "Hello Captain. Glad to see you've made back in one piece." Trouble was curious as to whether Artemis nabbed victory but didn't need to have his genitalia rearranged like a jigsaw puzzle. He hadn't seen Holly in this foul of a mood in a long time. For now Trouble would be strictly business.

"How was the jaunt to the land of the Mud Men?" _Okay, I had to at least get the pleasantries out of the way. _His intense scrutiny noticed an otherwise invisible relaxation in the taut muscles of Holly's body. The commander groaned; his certainty that Fowl won solidified a bit more. The crestfallen expression on that smug human's face had been prevalent in his daydreams. _D'Arvit._

"It was…memorable." Holly replied with a straight face. The exact memory that made it so memorable popped up into her head in vivid detail and a smirk tugged at her mouth. A bit of her exhaustion and annoyance faded away. She didn't notice the Commander's head falling onto his desk in defeat. Another yawn burst into the air and both of them noticed the full extent of Holly's tiredness simultaneously. A leg buckled and the elf caught herself with a hastily outstretched hand. "Sorry Commander. I-I'm so tired. And what's with everyone staring at me? It was nerve-wracking." She asked.

The commander scratched his head and tried his best to get her out of his office before she figured the whole thing out. _Thank the gods she's totally out of it right now._ "I have no clue Captain. I would talk to you about your tardiness today but that can wait for later. Get yourself home and sleep. When you're not a zombie report back. Dismissed." Holly stifled another yawn with her hand and nodded sleepily.

"Yessir." She saluted sharply and spun on her feet towards the door. Her distance was perfect but somehow her aim lacked its usual precision. The commander chuckled at the elf relying on her acrobatic skills to avoid an unpleasant collision with the doorframe. He wondered idly how she'd act drunk and made a mental note to invite Holly along on his occasional parties with a few other officers. Come to think of it, she never participated in anything beyond work.

Trouble waited a few moments after the door shut behind Holly and then quickly called up Foaly. The centaur popped onto his screen immediately; clearly he had been waiting for the commander's call. "Well? She say anything to you, Foaly?" The centaur dropped whatever doodad he was working on onto the table and shrugged.

"Nothing specific. Sounded like she was avoiding something though." He replied while examining the black rectangle in front of him and leaning over it with a few sensors.

"Hmm, I'm pretty sure the Mud Man got the best of us judging by her reaction in my office…and what are you doing?" the elf asked as a small arc of electricity flew out of the box and into whatever tool Foaly had in his hand.

"You don't want to know the answer to that question. It'd take a while and frankly be a waste of your oh-so valuable commander time. The only person I've found who actually understands my tech speak is our favorite human." Foaly replied with a smirk. The commander sighed; one of these days he'd follow through with a budget cut and have the insufferable centaur at his mercy. A yelp from the screen showed Foaly sucking on a burnt finger. The commander chuckled and enjoyed a fleeting moment of satisfaction.

"Smooth Foaly. Anyways, you're closer to Holly than I am. Pump her for information. Oh, and tell the geniuses wandering the hallways that blatantly staring at her is _not_ the way to go about things. If she wasn't exhausted I think I might have lost a few limbs once she figured it out." The centaur nodded and blanched at the thought of Holly knowing about the little bet. Okay, Plaza-wide bet to be specific. Honestly he was flabbergasted that the secret hadn't been leaked already.

"Alright. I'll ask when she gets in later. You said she headed home to crash…hmm wonder why she had so little sleep?" Foaly mused. Trouble buried his face in his hands as seriously unwanted images popped into his head for a few seconds. The centaur grinned at getting the intended reaction from Trouble.

"Why do you do this to me?" the commander groaned and wished the human internet phenomenon known as brain bleach existed. He resolved to find a few stiff drinks once his shift ended. An elf and human…? No. Just no. Yet that possibility was far closer to being realized than ever before. _At least I'm not personally involved in that unholy situation._ As long as Holly was happy with it what did he care?

"Have to keep your sanity on its toes, boss." Foaly drawled mockingly and turned his attention back to his pet project. Realizing the conversation had ground to a halt, Trouble terminated the link. Thinking about far too many problems, Trouble closed his eyes and sank into the semi-cushioned seat underneath him. There were perks to being a commander after all. _If only there was some way to get Fowl back…_

Holly closed her eyes in relief upon reaching her apartment door. That wasn't a smart move; the elf nearly fell asleep. Forcing her eyes back open against numerous complaints, Holly unlocked the door and gratefully stepped inside. Her somewhat shabby beige couch called out to her body but the elf was determined to reach her bed. She blinked and her eyes submitted a waiver of intent to rebel filled out in triplicate. Being the master of her self, Holly ignored this and walked along the hallway.

The sparsely adorned room greeted her fondly. She wasn't much for decorating but here at least Holly insisted on some personal touches. White walls with a couple paintings contrasted nicely with the splashes of emerald green in her bedcovers and the strange crystal on her nightstand. The rock always shone with a hint of brilliant luminescence no matter how little light struck it. A picture of her parents stood in its usual place on her dresser. Her hand lightly caressed the frame in her nightly ritual before she slipped under the covers.

Holly let out a gasp as the delectable softness of her bed enveloped her. Such a weird day needed to end with a bit of sweet oblivion. The crystal coated her delicate features with a soft green glow, giving her an ethereal beauty beyond this world. Typically, once she closed her eyes sleep evaded her.

Tiredness bore down on her like an all-consuming wave but something in her mind refused to let go of consciousness. Holly struggled to make that stubborn bit let go but to no avail. Apparently her mind had a few more things to chew on before calling it a night. Of all things a vague sense that she was forgetting something about next week poked at her. _Wait…next week is the beginning of September. _

Looks like Holly had a little shopping to do. Although this time gift ideas easily evaded her clumsy innovativeness. No sweat, a few days remained. Procrastination was so wonderful. That matter shelved for the moment, the elf moved onto the next topic. _Hmm…wonder if I could somehow finagle Artemis down here for a little celebration next week._ Her ears twitched slightly at the possibilities. Only problem was somehow slicing through the red tape of the LEP's bureaucracy. It did help to be on good terms with Vinyaya, Kelp, and Foaly though…hmm, she'd work something out.

Nothing else immediately crowded into her brain after another matter resolved. Well, besides the ever-present portion of her mind that missed Artemis but she could ignore that for the most part. Holly smiled faintly at the crystal a few inches away and tightly shut her eyes. The abused orbs ceased their whining and took a much-needed break as Holly finally slipped into dreams.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Finally! There's actually some action in this chapter. So if you were sick of fluff, here's a welcome change of pace. If you wanted fluff, it'll be back soon so no worries. Review! Your comments, encouragements, and suggestions for improvement help me increase my writing skills. So therefore if you want better chapters in the future: leave a review now! I have plenty of softnose rifles aimed at those who don't. Anyways, hopefully this chapter pleases you readers.

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Such a lovely dream was torn asunder by a shrill cry from the depths of hell. Holly started awake instantly and cast around warily for any demons rushing to steal her soul. The alarm clock blared innocently and her features slumped in disappointment when her best glare didn't instantly shred the evil machine apart. She couldn't win 'em all. Her mind grasped for the remnants of the dream but the only fragment Holly could remember involved Artemis and her in this room. Maddeningly, that was the extent of it. Even her own brain hated her.

Holly by no means felt completely refreshed but at least her body functioned more or less normally. Reaching a sitting position, the captain sighed at how far off-balance her sleep quota was. Another day or two of sleep would be exceptional but that was the downside of a job. A hand through her grimy auburn hair said that a certain fairy needed to clean herself up. Agreeing with that sentiment, Holly trudged through her apartment and found the perfect antidote to her zombie-like state: ten minutes of sheer bliss with some hot water. Holly stepped out; finally feeling ready for the day. _Shouldn't be too many surprises today._ How wrong she was.

Droplets of water fell onto the green and white tiled floor as she shook her head. It felt good to be able to see her own reflection without craning her neck again. A critical eye glanced at the mirror and found the doppelganger worthy enough to venture in public. Holly slid into her usual uniform and wandered into the kitchen for a quick breakfast. Empty cabinets greeted her. The elf debated a nettle smoothie with a little kick to it but the memory of the energy drink blasted that idea into the ground.

_Why do I make this so hard?_ Snatching a small nutrient bar cowering behind the cutlery, Holly ripped it open and began munching. It tasted stale but the sustenance would do. She could find an actual lunch later. That is if work didn't swallow her lunch break whole. Holly sent a roving glance across her living room. _I think I'm ready._ With that thought, the fiery elf squared her shoulders and threw herself into the bustle of Haven.

A quick glance at her wrist told Holly the traffic was no match for her. A faint smile crossing her features, the elf chuckled as a familiar beet-red face berated her from memory. Root always told his charge to leave earlier; Holly finally took that advice.

Hesitation and a hint of nervousness rooted the captain in place. Police Plaza loomed in front of her, full of unknown dangers…and stares. She chose to look at the open square behind her for an efficient distraction. The usual chaos of the bustling city revealed itself in the cacophony of conversation: yells from excited kids, shouts from enraged LEP officers, and the soft denials of criminals being led into the great building.

Holly rolled her eyes at the loud protestations of a small, dirty-looking goblin. No matter how thoroughly the LEP smashed apart the goblin gangs they always came back begging for more. The officer, Captain Grub Kelp, towing the unfortunate soul in took a double take. He had a couple ounces of gold riding on the fiery elf. The entire plaza was abuzz with speculation on her recent behavior. Kelp seized the opportunity to fish out some precious information.

"Good morning Captain Short. How was your ahh… trip?" he finished lamely. The captive goblin sighed and tugged on the vacuum cuffs. Grub ignored him and focused on Holly. She tapped a finger to her chin at the seemingly-random question.

"Fine…why?" she replied with a puzzled expression. She figured that everyone knew where she had gone by now. The only thing stumping her was _why _her fellow officers cared so much. Her previous jaunts never brought this reaction. _Maybe they know? But how…?_ Foaly removed all surveillance of Fowl Manor long ago. She saw to it personally that he didn't "accidentally" monitor Artemis over the years. Arty's services to the People allowed him that small bit of trust.

"Oh, just making small talk." he replied. Holly snorted; Kelp didn't make small talk. She was slightly irked that the bumbling fairy acquired the rank of Captain but she had to admit he'd changed since then. The man grew a spine in the last year and complained far less. People actually enjoyed his company now. Guess miracles could happen. _Speaking of miracles, I could use a couple of those. Wonder if they're on sale?_

A poke from the impatient goblin made Grub jump. No stranger to the procedures, the criminal wanted to get a move on. He already had his favorite cell bed lined up. With a quick nod to Holly, Captain Kelp turned and moved up the elegant stairs into the building. Kelp, not realizing he had a captive in tow, took off at almost a sprint and dragged the poor goblin behind him. Holly permitted a small smile to temporarily live on her face as the goblin muttered a few choice curses at his rough treatment. The auburn-haired elf left behind blinked at hearing a few new curses, committed them to memory, and stared with grim determination at location Kelp just entered. She was going to get to the bottom of this whole mess.

Squaring her shoulders, Holly pushed open the ornately inscribed doors. A few souls lingering in the lobby area threw her disinterested glances and returned to their tasks. Holly's eyebrows rose. They sure hadn't acted normally last night. She frowned and moved towards Trouble's office. It was as if someone told all the idiots from the evening before to simmer down. Her eyes narrowed. Whoever screwed with Holly's mind received a world of pain in return. Except Artemis…sometimes.

Even if a memo was sent out to keep Holly in the dark, she still noticed stares from the corner of her eye. A sprite glancing at her actually whistled innocently in response to Holly's return stare. Whistling for Frond's sake. Did he really think that fooled anyone but a mentally-impaired goblin? Okay, clarification was necessary: mentally-impaired compared to your average goblin. Even goblins could figure some things out.

At least this trip through the halls didn't make Holly feel like prey. A chuckle from the fiery elf made the three repairmen busily fixing the dent in the wall flinch. They knew exactly who created the circular depression in the poor wall. Holly winked at them as she passed. They didn't appreciate the fist she playfully waggled in their direction. The evidence of that small digit's power stared the workers in the face after all. She moved on and knocked on the commander's door.

Trouble waved her into the office without looking up. The captain opened the door and silently slipped into the chair. She expected a tongue-lashing from her commander but wasn't worried at all. Root's tirades had been the stuff of legend and Holly took those in stride. Well, a slightly crimped and staggering stride but at least she walked out of his office mostly intact. Trouble couldn't hope to reach Root's level. Holly wasn't worried.

"Do you like him?" the commander asked with his attention still focused on the crystal tablet on his shiny metal desk. Now Holly was worried.

She knew who he meant but played dumb. "Who Commander?" Holly asked with an innocently straight face. His scathing look told her playing a bimbo cut no ice with him. Holly smirked; how did he endure any chats with Lili Frond then? She had her suspicions on why most males and a few females endured conversation with the airhead.

"You know very well who. And don't think about lying to me. I'm asking as a friend and not as your Commander. But if I have to…" His warning filled the air and Holly gulped. This whole spilling-all business wasn't her cup of tea. _Very well._

"Oh alright. Yes." Holly admitted. The words hung in the air awkwardly for a few seconds and Holly wished she was somewhere else right now. It felt so weird admitting that to anyone besides Artemis, who already knew. Obviously. Trouble hesitated before asking the next question.

"Have you ahh…kissed him?" The commander sighed as her mortified nod told him all he needed to know. Fowl won. A mixture of annoyance, resignation, and regret flared in the defeated elf. Trouble frowned; why did he feel regret? Last time he checked Trouble and the Mud Man weren't in a competition for Holly's heart.

The commander's eyes roved over the petite elf in front of him as he contemplated that sliver of regret. Holly was undeniably pretty but she exuded an aura of…danger. Every fluid movement by the captain seemed to warn that if you touched her the offending finger would cease to exist. Very alluring. Trouble thought of the two previous women that he had truly wanted and found a troubling pattern. _D'Arvit._

His romance did have a flow to it. He saw it now; the women he truly wanted were not subject to his usual advances. Sure he'd flirt with them but Trouble never pushed it any farther unless they clearly wanted him in return. Trouble took pride in being a ladies' man but never propositioned the ones he liked. Now staring at Holly with his jaw dropping open, the commander realized he _liked _Holly. Just a day too late. _Be honest. You're a few years too late._ a voice whispered in his head.

Trouble groaned and smashed his forehead into the desk with disgust written on his features. That damn Mud Man won in more ways than one. At least Trouble had nothing to truly lose besides opportunity. To be honest, his life would probably last longer without Holly romantically involved with him. So on the bright side Artemis had to deal with the scathing side of Holly more often than he did. Or so Trouble thought.

"Well, Commander, I'm surprised you think that way." Holly hissed sibilantly with fire burning in her eyes. Trouble came back to his surroundings and immediately realized what his motions had signified to the captain. A misunderstanding to him, a killing offense to her. He was so dead. Finding himself drawn to her gaze, the commander saw restrained rage burning at him. _Thank the gods it isn't unrestrained._

Trouble opened his mouth to explain. It slowly shut as the sheer awkwardness of the ensuing explanation was processed by his brain. Diffusing her anger wasn't worth revealing his attraction to her. He could just apologize instead. Profusely. Catch-22 situations _sucked._ Either way his relationship with the captain would be strained for a while. Holly took the soft click of his jaws meeting again as further confirmation of her mistaken conclusion.

"No excuses? That's what I thought. Good-bye _Commander._" Holly infused the last word with every ounce of scorn she could muster. Considering her normal sarcasm dissolved metal from ten feet away Trouble felt lucky he didn't disintegrate on the spot. Her acidic bite was enough to make anyone flinch. And so Trouble flinched.

Spinning on her heel, Holly marched out of the room with every muscle quivering with a desire to hit something as hard as she could. Trouble dropped his head onto the metal desk with another loud thunk. This fiasco already proved itself one tough bitch to unravel. Holly thought he felt only disgust towards her and Artemis.

Admittedly, the idea felt weird to him but everyone deserved a shot at happiness. An emotion that would be a stranger to the commander for a while. He'd just have to apologize the next time he saw Holly and hope she'd see his sincerity. As far as plans went Artemis would've cried in shame but any plan is better than none. _I wish I could figure out how the Mud Man comes up with these schemes._

_How can he think like that? It's so…barbaric._ Anger seethed in Holly's body like lava in a smoking, rumbling volcano. It would break through her bounds and burn through the sky eventually. She always respected Trouble but that bond of trust lay in ruins about her feet. Just like Root, Kelp was more than just a boss to Holly. Not like a father figure but someone whose opinion and reciprocated trust she valued.

That declaration of derision from him sliced her heart. She felt like her brother had openly spit on Holly's feelings for Artemis. Any other fairy saying those words would've been ignored but coming from Trouble…how could she deal with it? Generally the barriers around the elfin captain repelled everything aimed to hurt her but Trouble speaking as her friend nimbly avoided them.

Gods, she needed Artemis so badly right now. This utterly foul day would flip into a good one if she could only feel his embrace. Even his sarcasm, annoying as it could be, would be gratefully welcomed. This sucked. Long-distance relationships were such an inconvenience on occasion.

Speaking of occasions, Artemis still needed a gift. As long as no emergencies arose Holly could fit in a little shopping at the end of her shift. Sighing, Holly resigned herself to that dreaded pastime: shopping. Sleep sounded like a much better option at the moment but a boyfriend brought responsibilities. _Ha! As if I don't have enough of those._ She rubbed her forehead wearily before making her way towards Foaly. Once again people practically leaped out of her way. Being in a foul mood had its perks.

Foaly glanced up from his workbench at Holly as a knocking sound reached his ears. He debated ignoring the elf but the hand she was drawing over her neck implied a painful end if he locked her out. Holly strode through the open doors and miserably slumped into a chair. The centaur raised an eyebrow; she looked far worse than yesterday.

"Shoot me Foaly. Today hasn't gone well at all and I doubt it will get any better." Holly moaned. She had a sneaking suspicion she just jinxed herself but didn't give a shit.

"What happened now?" Foaly asked after setting down the small grey orb he was working on. Holly eyed it and vaguely wondered what gizmo that was before responding.

"The commander found out I err…kissed Artemis. He didn't approve at all and that pissed me off. It felt like he was saying I'm doomed to fail before I've really even started." Holly muttered with her face buried in her hands. Foaly sighed and mentally moved a small amount of his finances into Artemis's pocket. Of course the Mud Man pulled it off in the nick of time.

"Trouble said that? That's not like him at all…" Foaly trailed off and wondered why the commander would talk like that to Holly. Trouble knew she respected his opinions.

"I know. I want to ignore it but I can't. I still feel like beating the crap out of something." Holly replied with her fists clenched. Foaly pushed his chair back a couple inches. He'd seen her lash out randomly before.

"Well…does it change your mind about Artemis at all?" Holly pulled her head out of her hands and gazed steadily at Foaly.

"Nope. It just hurts that a friend thinks that there's something…" Holly searched for the right words. "…fundamentally _wrong_ with Artemis and I." Foaly nodded. He could understand that. Perhaps the commander meant something else; the Trouble he knew was fair towards everyone.

"Give him the benefit of the doubt. Talk to him next time you see him and ask. I doubt the commander truly meant to hurt you." Holly's anger abated to a lower tide and she thought about his suggestion rationally. It wouldn't do to let things stand like this. A productive conversation awaited them in the near-future. Her stomach rumbled sickeningly at the thought that Trouble truly meant his gestures. That would wreck their working relationship and friendship to boot.

"Fair enough. I will." Holly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Foaly blinked at the feminine gesture. Holly didn't generally let her hair get long enough to even tuck it properly The centaur hadn't noticed until now that she let her hair grow out a bit. Not enough to break regulations but it gave the captain a hint of fragility.

"Actually, you can do it right now. Don't let the commander know that I told you this. You're scheduled for a raid in an hour. Go solve your issues with Trouble before the briefing in fifteen minutes." Foaly replied. Holly ran a hand through her hair in anticipation. Just what she needed: a mission. Something to raise her spirits and wake her up.

Holly stood up with a little bit of optimism fluttering inside her chest. Maybe shopping would be a breeze as well. _Easy there. That's pushing it too far with my luck._ "Thanks Foaly." The centaur smiled at the receding figure of his friend. He wished her the best of luck.

Peeking her head into the door, Holly spied the commander looking over the mission plans. She passed the seven chairs laid out and tapped the unsuspecting elf on the shoulder. Trouble jumped and spun around to find Holly chuckling at him with a twinkle in her eye. Her anger receded a bit more as amusement took its place. "H-Holly! You surprised me. About earlier, I'm dreadfully sorry. I didn't mean to imply that I disapproved of you and Artemis. Believe me when I say I carry no judgment and wish you the best of luck. As for why I looked disgusted I…can't tell you that. But it had nothing to do with you two." His words rushed out in a speedy stream.

Holly staggered back a step from the almost-physical tide of his apology. An undercurrent of sincerity reached her ears and the fiery elf felt the last bit of her anger drown in the wave. Cocking her head to the side, Holly studied her friend. _Wonder what that was all about then? I believe him though._ If he wouldn't say why then she had no business asking. All that mattered was the fact that Trouble supported her.

A smile crossed her face. "It's all right Commander. Apology accepted. Now, I'll leave you to the mission preparation." Holly didn't wait for a response and lithely slunk into a chair. Trouble's mouth dropped open for the second time that day. Of all the scenarios he'd envisioned this was one that struck him out of left-field. A non-angry Holly immediately accepting his apology…Commander Kelp wondered if he was hallucinating right now. A sharp pinch to his arm said this was real. Every time he thought he had a grip on female behavior the damnable women messed with his mind again. It had to be a conspiracy. Now if the mission went this smoothly then Kelp would be a happy man.

He really felt sorry for Fowl though. The genius would be a stuttering wreck after Holly finished with him. If she found out that she loved him…Artemis better find out how to grow a skin of iron. For now the commander enjoyed the lack of Holly's anger. Something would set it off sooner or later. He busied himself with enduring Foaly's technical lecture while waiting for the Retrieval team to show up.

Holly sadly left her daydream about Artemis behind as six suited fairies trudged into the room. Clattering sounds ensued while everyone settled into chairs. All that technology and the chairs still were hell on the back. Holly made a mental note to take it up with Foaly when she got back. Commander Kelp glanced at the group seated in front of him and immediately started speaking.

"Remember the softnose shipment raid six months ago?" The entire room groaned. Holly hadn't been a victim of that particular incident but she'd heard the stories. One Retrieval team versus a building loaded with rifle-toting goblins. The LEP won in the end and miraculously avoided any fatalities. The entire team was out for a week. One upshot of that whole fiasco was the mandated medic on any large police operation. "Judging by your stellar reaction you're all ready for another one." Kelp commented dryly.

The assorted group of faeries blanched. None planned on backing out; they had a duty to fulfill. The building in question this time popped onto the screen. "It's an abandoned power plant on the fringes of the deserted sector of Haven. Foaly picked up a hive of unusual activity and after a closer scan found the signature of what appears to be softnose weapons. There aren't many of these left after the B'wa Kell rebellion so this represents a major feather in the LEP's hat." Kelp strode away from the screen and looked directly at Holly.

"Captain Short. You will be our Recon backup." Holly raised an eyebrow. A quick glance around the room showed no other Recon officer so how could she be backup?

"Backup sir?" she queried. Trouble sighed and waved at the screen. Foaly's face popped up with a maniacal grin.

"Yes Captain Short. The Council gave me permission to try a remote-controlled spy drone for a trial run. You'll follow in behind it and perform the surveillance if anything goes wrong." Foaly said with a smug grin. Holly started with surprise. She thought his little remote-drone project died years ago. The first attempts involved armed spy drones. A few singed fairies and one torched shack didn't impress the Council. Foaly's revised plan for observation drones only was immediately shot down. Looks like he'd somehow persuaded them otherwise in the intervening years.

"Whatever the case may be, once we know the exact threat the Retrieval team will storm them. Unlike last time we'll hit them hard and fast; stun the goblins before they know how to react. The fairies will be headed there in a few unmarked vehicles. Foaly's little drone thing flies over the city." Commander Kelp finished the briefing. The team whispered amongst themselves as they filed towards the waiting vehicles. Holly smiled at a white-robed elf joining the group. There was something reassuring about having a fully-charged elfin warlock along for the ride. Even if his only purpose was emergency healing.

Foaly cackled with glee as his little invention soared over the city. He caught quite a few glimpses of fairies going about their daily business. No one noticed the small sphere high above. Too bad this never could reach its finished form unless someone bequeathed Koboi's funds to him. Stealth ore turned this baby into pure gold. Figuratively speaking. The centaur amused himself with stellar aerial acrobatics before directing his new toy to the target.

The vehicles finally pushed through all the traffic and stopped in a shadowy plaza a couple blocks away from the power plant. Abandoned buildings papered with demolition notices surrounded them as the black-suited faeries poured out. Commander Kelp waved at the Retrieval team to stick close to him. Holly nodded at the group and activated her wings. Shielding and taking off, the elf kept a keen eye on the spy drone as they neared the goblin hive.

Foaly smiled at the data that flowed onto his screens from the vast amount of sensors attached to the drone. Two red dots denoted a couple of goblins keeping watch on the roof with at least six more in the main part of the building. A cluster near the back probably indicated the crates or another horde of goblins. He inched forward for a better view and the screen suddenly went blank. "Holly? What happened?" he asked incredulously.

The captain tried to clear the laser's afterimage from her vision. "One of the rooftop goblins shot it down. There's no sign that the goblins knew what it was. Probably just target practice for a bored marksman." She had to admit, that was an impressive shot. She'd shoot him first. Foaly smashed a fist on his desk in frustration.

Kelp overheard this and sighed. It figured that Foaly's gizmo would utterly fail. "Captain Short, proceed with caution. Try to get us a glimpse of the interior then take out the two on the roof. Once you've done that let us know and we'll begin our assault." Even though the Commander couldn't see her Holly nodded. Setting her wings to slightly more than a hover, the elf maneuvered through shadows and darkness towards the building. The two goblins standing watch never saw a thing.

Holly groaned once she reached the outer wall. This mission could have serious consequences and she was low on magic. The visit to Artemis took its toll. A quick calculation told the captain she had enough magic for a minor healing, no more. _Let's not get shot then._ Holly turned her attention back to the mission and manipulated her wings to send her straight up. The flickering yellow light arcing through the windows above drew steadily closer.

Finally reaching her objective, the elf peered into the building. The power plant in its prime would've been filled to the brim with workers and equipment. Now all that remained was a few catwalks and rusty odds and ends strewn across the dusty floor. Goblins talked amongst themselves and guarded the three crates sitting in the middle. A doorway on the far wall signified the entrance to the back room and, according to the schematics, the ladder up to the roof.

Suddenly a female goblin with a large bulky object slung on her shoulder entered the room. Holly's eyes widened; that was a softnose cannon. One hit from that beast would ruin anyone's day. From the way the other goblins stiffened this was their leader. The leader's eyes roved the room and narrowed; there seemed to be the faintest haze on the right corner of the window. Holly's soldier sense buzzed with alarm but the leader didn't react in any way that indicated her cover was blown. "Back to work." The chief snapped and disappeared into the back room once more.

Backing away from the window, Holly relayed the pertinent information to Commander Kelp and Foaly. They saw her helmet feed but she always felt the need to give her own insights on the situation. More fairy eyes always helped. The first objective went without a hitch. _Now for a little action._ Holly grinned in anticipation and moved upwards.

Her first view of the two bored goblins on the rooftop almost made her snort in laughter. They held their weapons with the barrels pointed straight at the ground under their feet. Idiots. There wasn't much chance of any intruder calmly sitting down on the ground to be shot. Holly would take these two out as easily as a dwarf blew a hole in his pants. Although she wouldn't be quite as messy about it.

Holly vaulted over the edge of the roof and let fly with two silent Neutrino bursts. A slight clatter ensued as two goblins sank to the ground in unconsciousness. Holly skirted their fallen forms and moved directly for the hatchway leading down. "I'm in position. Go." she whispered. Commander Kelp heard her and waved his group forward. Like a black wave the six fairies advanced ruthlessly on the building in front of them.

The elf on the rooftop dug her fingers into the trapdoor and pulled with all her might. Careful to make no noise, she yanked it off with a minimum of scraping and set it down lightly. Holly heard a strange clicking sound just as she pushed her head into the opening. The goblin from before stared directly at Holly with a mixture of malice and triumph shining from the reptilian orbs. "Good-bye." the goblin whispered as she followed her beam's path towards the unsuspecting captain.

Holly immediately flung herself backwards but knew it was far too late. The silvery projectile was already halfway to her location by the time she even noticed it. With a shriek, the missile impacted on the edge of the entrance-way two feet under Holly. The goblin's marksmanship left something to be desired but with a cannon-shot that hardly mattered. A hit somewhere near your target ensured at least severe bodily pain.

_D'Arvit._ Holly's last thought before the explosion summed up her current predicament quite well. Without full magic Holly didn't expect to survive this at all. Another breath fled her body as the projectile finally erupted outwards. The elf's world became a succession of three colors: white, red, and black.

The first second after impact turned her world into a pristine white void. The flash instantly wrecked her vision. The fireball roared into the air and Holly's world changed from white to blood red. Pain followed.

She'd been thrown into a wall by a troll. She'd been practically gutted by an enchanted sword. She'd never felt pain like this. The sheer force of the blast shattered most of her bones like kindling and shrapnel pummeled through her suit like it was a mere sheet of paper. Luckily yet unluckily for Holly the ceiling and her suit absorbed the brunt of the blow. Three seconds into the ordeal and Holly already wished for sweet oblivion.

The fortunate part: she still lived. The unfortunate part: _Damn _it hurt. Greedily consuming all the oxygen it could, the fireball expanded high above the building and sent Holly flying through the air. Her magic spent itself to repair approximately one percent of her wounds. Blood traced delicate spider webs in the air as the crimson liquid dripped towards the ground. The battle barely begun below ground to a halt as the explosion rocked the building to its core.

At least Holly had some small measure of revenge. The goblin that instigated it all barely had time to gloat before the falling ceiling ended her laughter and her life along with six other goblins. Two shots sprayed up dirt by Commander Kelp's feet as his shoes rooted themselves to the ground. Each fairy stared in awe at the slim figure high above them. There was something sublimely beautiful about Holly's trajectory. The beauty of the spectacle was ignored in favor of roiling horror in the stomachs of the Retrieval team.

"Holly!" tore from Kelp's and Foaly's throats simultaneously. Forgetting about anything else, Trouble ran for Holly's estimated landing spot. He would've made it in time to catch her but fate intervened. What felt like a small cannonball smashed him in the chest. The commander flew three feet through the air and landed hard on his back. Holly's helmet didn't like him apparently. Blue sparks fixed his wounds as the commander watched on in despair.

The air was so still that everyone in the vicinity heard the thump of Holly's landing. The noise arrived accompanied by more cracks as Holly's few unbroken ribs gave into peer pressure and snapped. Trouble scrambled to his feet and sprinted for the cloud of dust marking his captain's landing position. Holly tried to scream but only managed a soft gurgle accompanied with a veritable fountain of blood. The battle commenced shortly afterwards. A demoralized group of goblins with half their number dead versus a revenge-thirsty and highly-trained Retrieval squad. No contest.

Finally arriving, the commander nearly threw up at the grotesque spectacle before him. Her body twisted unnaturally with a pool of crimson liquid greedily soaking into the ground underneath. Mismatched eyes somehow grabbed his gaze and he knelt transfixed by the determination burning within them. If any fairy could somehow come back from this shattered ruin then he would place a bet on Holly any day. The medic arrived and didn't bother with words. He immediately called upon his magic and sent surge after surge of sparks into Holly's form.

Trouble sat there helplessly. Only two words passed Holly's lips and he barely made them out. "Sorry Artemis." How fitting that her last words would be directed at the Mud Man who could do nothing. Blessedly Holly's mangled body disappeared from view behind a mist of energy as the magic scurried about its business. The hissing and popping sounds of bones fluidly moving to their original positions filled the air. Cracks sank deep into the groaning earth and Trouble felt rock give way beneath his feet.

The light blazing from the medic and his patient burned the commander's retinas but Trouble refused to look away. He had no clue whether the healing progressed well but the warlock hadn't given up yet. That meant something good, right? Minutes passed with agonizing slowness.

Distant sounds of battle filtered into Kelp's ears but he ignored it. His vigil was infinitely more important to him than the mission that could've cost his best officer her life. "Live Holly." he breathed. The splintering of rock under pressure created a three-foot crater where Holly's body rested. Finally the medic stepped back, blinked woozily, and collapsed unconscious to the floor. Kelp hardly dared to look; was Holly gone?

Nut-brown flesh streaked with blood and tattered remnants of the suit fibers greeted him. Her eyes remained closed but Holly's chest rose and fell rhythmically. Her world finally receded to blackness and a sweet cessation of agony. Trouble collapsed to the ground in relief. That medic somehow restored Holly firmly to the world of the living. Now it remained to be seen if her mind was still intact. The body lived but this kind of trauma to a brain could have catastrophic consequences.

"Commander Kelp. Everything is secured; Captain Short was the only fata-injury. After the roof collapsed the goblins threw the towel in. They thought we had a secret weapon or something." Lieutenant Raven amended her statement as she stared in amazement at the breathing form on the ground. She thought her role model from the Academy bit the dust for sure. A morbid chuckle burst from the soldier's throat. Holly had indeed bit the dust in a more literal sense. Trouble eyed the other officer and came to a snap decision. Every fairy had to learn the nuances of leading sometime.

"Excellent. Oversee the mop-up Lieutenant. I'll see that Captain Short makes it safely home." Trouble said as he cradled Holly's limp form in his arms. Raven stood stock-still and watched the Commander carry his charge into a vehicle and take off at a break-neck pace. Her attention turned to the poor medic lying abandoned in the ground. With an offered prayer for Holly she tossed the lightweight warlock over her shoulder and surveyed the chaos that was all hers to deal with. _The responsibilities of command. Well, shit._


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Yes, I'm finally back from the dead! So please, don't snipe me in the head. I really want to continue this story after all. The monster that is college reared up and ate the last month from me...but I wrested some time back to write a quick chapter. A little short but anything is better than nothing at this point. Reviews pointing out strengths and weaknesses are always appreciated and enjoy!

* * *

It nagged at him. His peace, his thoughts, his sleep: all disrupted. A brief flicker of moonlight struck the rain-spattered window and Artemis' puzzled face. He hated being puzzled. _What does this feeling mean?_

Artemis tapped his chin and contemplated the droplets of water sliding down the glass. He knew what the feeling indicated but that couldn't possibly be right. Six obsessive checks on his family members told him either his talent went haywire or mutated somehow. Even though magic no longer could be summoned forth from his fingertips it still left Artemis marked. Those neural pathways blazed open by the blue sparks remained active and granted him an interesting talent. Possibly a curse.

The appropriate memory presented itself for the teen's scrutiny. He had found out on a business trip to Helsinki a year ago. While lecturing Butler on an esoteric topic of physics a screeching noise shattered the peaceful air. Rough hands pushed him away from the devastating car accident but the uncertain dread that plagued him now told Artemis what unfolded then. Two dead, their passing sensed by Artemis. Visceral pain of their passing struck him to the ground as _something_ fled the scene into the air and vanished. That particular mix of dread and hesitation that preceded death's visit remained burned into his memory. Now it was back.

Thankfully it only applied to humans and presumably fairies. Artemis would have been driven insane if he had to live with the feeling for any creature that relinquished life. Three months ago a man was stricken by a heart attack while Artemis walked across the street twenty feet away but the teen hadn't felt anything. His guess placed the range of effect at between fifteen and twenty feet. Artemis could find out for sure but that was one experiment doomed to remain mere theory.

A sudden burst of thunder jolted the raven-haired teen back to the present. What had happened before wasn't the issue here. Artemis needed to figure out why he felt this now. _Perhaps the issue isn't the range of effect. Maybe it's who is in danger._ An intriguing possibility.

His eyes narrowed and focused their raptor gaze on the darkness outside. Seeing as all his family slept peacefully and the sensation had forced him from the tangled sheets three hours ago they couldn't be the cause. In his previous experience the dread formed only a few minutes or seconds before the incident. Then again this was something completely different.

Artemis sighed and strolled to his computer. A quick glance throughout the surveillance installed in Fowl Manor showed no outward signs of disturbance and his keen eyes picked out the tell-tale signs of breathing in each sleeping occupant. _If it's not them then who?_ With his assumption that the talent affected people who were close to him... _Holly._

Panic flared in his chest. He couldn't lose her now…or ever for that matter. To have her die first would be far too much irony for him to handle. His first experience led to death. Would his second also strip another life from this world? A moment of actual fear flicked through Artemis's mind and he blinked at the unaccustomed emotion. The fact that matters of the heart trumped logic hadn't been hammered home until now. A voice nattered in the back of his head that the matters of the heart were really the matters of the brain but the principle remained sound.

Shocked into action, the teen rummaged frantically through the debris on top of his bedside drawer for the fairy communicator he still used to chat to Holly on occasion. Just as his clammy hand grasped the ring, the dread and hesitation fled his body. Artemis stood still as a stone as he stared with redoubled fear at the small device. His hand actually shook as the ring slipped on his finger and he activated it. _Wow. All those moments where my friends almost died and yet this gives me the most visible reaction? Interesting…_ A side track of his brain went on the tangent of what that meant in reference to his feelings for Holly while Artemis brought the communicator to his ear. "Holly?"

* * *

Trouble abused his privileges as a LEP officer in his haste to return to Police Plaza. Anytime a bit of complaint rose in his mind from the law-abiding side of his conscience one glance at Holly's prone form erased it from existence. It simply didn't matter. Squeezing through the usual Haven traffic jam was so much easier when your vehicle exuded an aura of extremely important LEP business. Those who didn't move out of the way were moved. Forcibly. The commander could always shell out a few ingots for the two or three dings created by some of his riskier maneuvers.

Another complaint voiced itself in the form of Trouble's abandonment of his mission. He smirked coldly to himself; looked like he'd be grilled by Internal Affairs along with Holly. About time she had some company in that regard. As far as her company in romantic matters went, it sucked to be Trouble. He'd get over it soon enough…or so he hoped. A vehicle blared angrily at the commander as he slipped through with barely a centimeter to spare.

The commander breathed a sigh of relief and raced into the docking bay of Police Plaza. Other officers stopped to stare at the limp form carried in his arms as Trouble ran to the medical ward at a dead run. He knew he was probably overreacting just a tad but damnit, this was Holly receiving the short end of the stick here. The force wouldn't be quite the same without her scathing wit and admittedly volcanic personality.

Rushing through the halls with Holly in his arms wasn't going to do much for his reputation. He could already see the well-tended gossip vines throughout Police Plaza growing epileptic trees. A bet would probably arise from this fiasco, even if he couldn't possibly think of how. _Focus!_ Trouble shook off the random thoughts and burst into the small medic ward in the back of the building.

The elfin warlock blinked in surprise as the door burst open. He immediately narrowed his eyes at the elf in Trouble's arms. "What happened here Commander?" he asked while rushing over. Before the commander could explain the warlock placed his hands on Holly's forehead and probed with a lancet of his magic. Trouble's words poured out of his mouth in a jumbled rush.

"Captain Short got hit by a softnose cannon. Luckily we had a medic on hand to heal the injuries but I thought it would be prudent to have another warlock full of magic to examine her. The fellow who healed her collapsed to the ground unconscious afterwards." He replied while the warlock finished his examination and motioned for Trouble to set her down. He complied and gently laid Holly onto the soft covers of the nearest bed.

A glint of light caught the Commander's eye. Through the shredded pieces of Holly's gloves Trouble saw a small ring around an unblemished finger. _Against regulations, that._ Deciding that Holly didn't need any more trouble, Kelp glanced at the medic to make sure he was still focused on examining Holly and quickly snatched the ring off her hand. A cough masked the motion of his hand slipping the object into a pocket.

"Well, obviously her physical injuries were taken care of. The amount of magic lingering implies she's lucky to be alive though. Nothing seems wrong mentally from what I can tell; we'll just have to wait until she wakes up. With something this serious, could be a few hours or even a couple days." The warlock shook his head at the foolhardiness of the officers under his care. A softnose cannon? He idly wondered how much luck Holly Short had. From what he heard about her previous adventures, it clearly was a stupendous amount.

"Thanks. Alert me when she wakes." Trouble said. The warlock nodded absentmindedly and watched the commander disappear through the door. _Not often I get a patient to look after…especially one escorted by the Commander himself._ The elf shrugged his surprise away and contemplated the small figure resting on the bed.

Trouble didn't even need to ask Foaly to let him into the Ops Booth. The worried elf marveled at the lack of paranoia from the centaur but quickly plunged into concern as the reason claimed the surface of his mind. One glance at the inhabitant roaming nervous eyes over the multitude of computers told Trouble that Foaly was lost in worry as well. "She's alright as near as I can make out. Physically she's good as new and the warlock didn't find any obvious signs of mental damage," Trouble said quietly while taking a seat.

A sigh of relief filled the air. Foaly's shoulders slumped and he swiveled around to face Trouble. "Whew, that's a relief. I think you're going to be getting a call from Internal Affairs on your driving skills though. The footage wasn't pretty." Trouble cracked a much-needed grin and shrugged. The worst that could happen was reprimand along with a fine. Mitigating circumstances would prevent anything beyond that. Besides, Internal Affairs would relish the opportunity to be going after someone besides Holly for once. A rumor said that her file in their offices took up an entire drawer.

"Oh well. No major harm done and I don't spend my ingots anyway. Might as well contribute to the continued investigations Internal Affairs needs to justify its existence," Trouble replied offhandedly. Foaly rolled his eyes and felt a pang of pity for the LEP's interior policing group. No one liked them at all. "Actually, I'm just curious as to what rumors and bets spring up from this. Knowing the current group of gambling addicts, there's going to be some fun stuff to laugh at."

"I'd have to agree. Maybe our favorite Mud Boy can win again," Foaly muttered and looked out of the corner of his eye at the Commander. As he suspected, Trouble stiffened and frowned at the thought of Artemis. _There's some competition there. Too bad Artemis has it in the bag._ "Oh dear, we do have to tell him don't we. That's not going to be a fun conversation," Foaly moaned and dropped his head into his hands.

"True, but it'll be nice to see him rattled for once in his life. Artemis has too much ice surrounding him," Trouble replied. Foaly pondered that statement. The Mud Man did exude a veritable layer of ice to those around him but the people closest to the genius saw through that. It was guaranteed that Holly melted the icy shell when she was around. If it ever thawed all the way…Foaly grinned at the image of a sociable and charming Artemis. _Nah. That requires a miracle._

"Holly?" a voice said into the room. The elf and centaur jumped into the air and both stared at Trouble's crotch. The Commander looked up and raised an eyebrow at Foaly's shocked stare.

"Do you have Artemis stuffed down your pants?" Foaly blurted without thinking. Trouble laughed and a few dry chuckles emanated from his pants.

"A better question, Foaly, would be why Holly's communicator is in Trouble's pants if I have deduced who laughed correctly. Is she alright?" Artemis asked with a slight tremor of worry underlying his voice. Trouble sighed and pulled out the blinking ring and set it on the table. He wanted the inevitable bad jokes kept to a minimum. At least Holly wasn't here to ensure embarrassment. On second thought, he'd prefer embarrassment over the reason that he had the ring.

"Holly is alright...now," Foaly replied. Artemis heard the pause and groaned. So something had happened but that realization faded before the sheer relief that ripped through him. Holly lived. That's all that mattered.

"What kind of trouble did she get herself into this time?" Artemis asked. Holly's luck was going to run out sometime. Death had to be very annoyed at how many times she'd avoided the void.

"Goblin and softnose trouble. Holly took a softnose cannon shot to the face and lived to tell the tale. Her luck can't exist after that," Trouble said flatly. Foaly and Artemis nodded their heads in agreement.

"That figures. There's no power-hungry super villain trying to kill Holly so she picks the next best thing. She's going to be the death of me…" Artemis replied softly and blinked as he realized what he said. _Oops. That second part wasn't supposed to slip out._

"Knowing Captain Short, she'll be the death of you in a more literal sense," Trouble said smugly. Artemis couldn't help but wince at the truth in those words. Making Holly angry was always a gamble on whether he'd survive her eruptions.

"Very true, Commander. You'll find out if she skins me alive at some point in the future. Now for a more pertinent thread of conversation. I'm assuming my chances are slim to none but I have to try anyway. Could I acquire a visa to visit Holly? The Council is still dead set against me but you two do have some influence and allies." Artemis let a calculated note of pleading enter his voice.

Foaly and Trouble shared glances. That visa would never happen anytime soon. "Sorry Artemis. There's nothing we can do immediately. It'll still be weeks before the Council comes to a decision," the centaur replied with a note of guilt threaded around his words. "We'll let you know immediately when she wakes up of course. Just know for now that she's safe and sound."

Artemis' eyes hardened as a peal of thunder shook his window. He wouldn't be denied by a squabbling bunch of bureaucrats. Holly needed him and he was going to be by her side when she woke up. He didn't care if Koboi showed up to stop him; Artemis would figure out something. "Thank you and watch over her," he said coldly.

Foaly groaned. He'd been on enough adventures with the Mud Man to know when Artemis had a plan. "Artemis? Whatever you're planning, be careful. For the sake of my conscience and career I don't want to know. We will let you know if anything changes with Holly's condition." There was no response and the ring's light faded. The two souls in the Operations Booth shared a glance of concern and sat in silence.

* * *

Artemis clenched a hand into a fist and let the maelstrom of suppressed emotions within him have their way. For a moment. He regained control and looked around his room while plans and options flitted through his mind. _Better dress warmly and call up an old friend. _Artemis shrugged on his usual suit and threw on an elegant, ridiculously expensive jacket for some protection against the elements raging outside.

Butler and the others didn't need to be involved. This mission was for Artemis and the person he'd need to enter Haven. Good thing he knew just the fairy for the job. A twist of the fairy communicator and Artemis had a link to his accomplice. "Mulch! I need you."

_How much longer must I wait?_ A low tapping sound filled the kitchen as Artemis stared at the wall. An untouched and previously steaming cup of tea hunkered forlornly on the mahogany table in front of the genius. His fingers continued to drum on the beautiful wood while seconds ticked by in infinite slowness. Time was always against him. It was nearing morning; the family would be up and about within the hour. A faint tinge of red bled across the sky.

A short, wild-haired figure walked into the kitchen and immediately opened the refrigerator. Artemis chuckled and grinned at the dwarf busily inspecting the fully-stocked larder. "Have you ever not been hungry Mulch?"

"Don't think so. I think I'll take care of this roasted chicken. You don't need it," The dwarf replied and made good on his promise. One unhinging of his jaw and the poor morsel vanished down Mulch's gullet. Artemis imagined he heard the chicken screaming in fear as it fell into the bottomless pit of the dwarf's stomach.

"True, I don't need that chicken. But I do need your talents and your help," Artemis said forcefully.

"When don't you need my talents and help? Every time you get in a scrape I'm there to save your hide. I should be getting paid. So, what is it this time?" Mulch asked in between throwing another sandwich into his mouth.

"You've already been paid in food, clearly. I need you to get me to Haven. Simple as that," Artemis replied dryly. The dwarf rolled his eyes and grunted. Whenever Artemis said simple Mulch could count on a harrowing adventure that would nearly kill him. Never a dull day with these Mud Men.

"Dare I ask why you want to flout the Council and invade Haven?" Mulch finally sat down at the table and shredded apart an apple tart.

"Holly was hurt and I must be there for her. That's the sole reason and nothing is going to stop me," Artemis said. Mulch flinched at the icy tone those words were delivered in. The human meant it when nothing was going to stop him.

"Judging by your use of the past tense, I'm assuming Holly nearly died again but was healed in time." Artemis nodded. "Well in that case, two things. One, how much luck does Holly possibly have? Two, I'm in. Provided I get a little compensation. I could be doing my job right now after all," Mulch stated with a grin. Artemis' return smile lifted some of the somber atmosphere in the room.

"Agreed. I have just the thing," Artemis said and pulled out a small bag from his pocket. Mulch snatched the small bag and looked inside at the glint of gold.

"That will do. So, what's the plan?" Mulch asked as he stowed the bag away somewhere on his person. Artemis grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote a letter for Butler to find in the morning. He didn't want to cause too much worry after all.

"The plan is simple. Get into Tara, steal a shuttle, and off we go to Haven," Artemis said and stood up from the chair with a scraping sound. He groaned at the mess of food everywhere and made a mental note to apologize to Butler for the chaos later.

"You already know I have just the way to get in and I can steal a shuttle no problem. But what about the guards and the guaranteed police reception that will be waiting for you in Haven?" Mulch asked, expecting an answer. He got his wish.

"Let's just say that Foaly's upgrades will harm him in this instance. The guards will be easily incapacitated if my theory works out. Which it will." Artemis' smile grew into a sadistic grin. "I'm counting on the police reception. I'll get the supplies and off we go," Artemis replied with a steely glint shining in his eyes. Holly waited for him and he was going to go to her no matter the cost. Mulch grinned at the thought of being on yet another mission. He did love breaking and entering after all.


End file.
